LONGVIEW, Texas- Coming into their second home game of the season, the LeTourneau University men's soccer team dropped a 4-1 non-conference matchup to visiting Rhodes College at the LETU Soccer Field in Longview, Texas on Friday, September 7th.

The YellowJackets fell to 1-2 on the season while the Lynx remain undefeated with a 3-0 record.

How It Happened:

• After a 20-minute defensive battle to open up the game, the Lynx struck first after a corner kick would be redirected by a header into the back of the net, giving Rhodes a 1-0 lead.
• The Lynx looked to add to their lead in the 25th minute, but a save from YellowJacket goalie C.J. Leyva kept the deficit at 1-0. The LETU men threatened with a chance of their own in the 36th minute, but would be denied by Rhodes goalie, William Birka-White.
• A penalty kick just one minute into the second half led to the second goal of the night for Rhodes, doubling the lead for the Lynx and putting LeTourneau in a position to attack.
• Another defensive stop by the YellowJackets just minutes later would keep the score at 2-0, before a goal by the Lynx at the 58:06 mark looked to put the game away heading into the final 30 minutes of action.
• The YellowJackets would manage to find their way onto the scoreboard in the 69th minute, taking advantage of a free kick off of a Rhodes foul that would be sent in by Luis De La Torre. Awaiting the free kick would be junior Zachariah Malik who headed home the ball off the first touch to give LETU life with just 20 minutes remaining.
• Any momentum gained by LeTourneau from the goal would be quickly nullified however, as the Lynx managed to get past the back line of the LETU defense and knock in their fourth goal of the night and reclaim their three-goal lead.

Key Stats:

• Rhodes held possession for much of the game, leading to a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.  
• The Lynx managed to net four of their nine shots on goal, making the most of their opportunities at the net.
• Malik's goal would be his first of the season for the YellowJackets while De La Torre notched his second assist of the year.
• Playing all 90 minutes in net, Leyva would wind up denying five shots for the YellowJackets.

What's Next?
The YellowJackets will continue non-conference play on Sunday, September 9th when they travel to San Antonio for a 1 p.m. matchup against Our Lady of the Lake University. The Saints will enter Sunday's game with an undefeated record of 3-0-0.