DAYTON, Ohio - A scoreless battle until late in the contest, a goal by 2014 Horizon League Player of the Year Eric Lynch stood up as Wright State University topped the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team by a final score of 1-0 Monday night at Alumni Field.
 
"It's a devastating result," Milwaukee head coach Kris Kelderman said. "We all had high hopes of getting past Wright State and getting through to the final four on the weekend. We've been playing well the last few games and the guys were excited for the game tonight. The guys brought fight and energy, but unfortunately they didn't get the result. I am still very proud of the guys and their effort tonight."
 
With the loss in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament, the Panthers (6-10-3) see their 2014 season come to a close. The Raiders (11-6-2) advance to the league tournament semifinals Thursday.
 
Despite the fact that two offensive-minded teams were battling it out, the game remained a 0-0 tie until the 73:09 mark when Lynch took a pass on the left wing and sent it back to the far post for his sixth goal of the season.
 
"The goal they scored was very nice," Kelderman said. "Hats off to them. We had a couple of opportunities and our best chances probably came in the first half. It was a good effort. The guys fought and did what they could."
 
The Panthers were outshot 18-10 in the game but were unable to put enough pressure on the WSU keeper the final 15 minutes to find the equalizer. Senior Laurie Bell had a header chance off a flick from freshman Reid Stevenson in the box in the 79^th minute, but sent it just high.
 
Senior Kyle Neumann also had a chance in the closing minutes, but could not get enough pace on the ball, resulting in an easy save for Tyler Blackmer in his shutout effort.
 
Besides Bell and Neumann, fellow seniors Luke Goodnetter and Richard Johnson also closed out their UWM careers tonight.
 
"I feel sad for the seniors," Kelderman said. "All four of them had great careers here. They experienced ups and downs and are a big part of why this program is in a better place today than when they started. I am proud of them and the effort they put in over their careers."