COLUMBUS, Miss. -  The W men's soccer team had is biggest offensive burst of the 2024 season, but it fell short in a 5-3 non-conference loss to Ecclesia College at the Roger Short Soccer Complex. The Royals improved to 5-4-1 with the win, while the Owls fell to 0-8-0.
 
MUW's task was made even more difficult by playing without starting goalkeeper Antonio Romero, who had played every minute in the nets for MUW prior to the EC match, but was sidelined with an injury. Head coach BJ Pheasant called on field player CT Kennedy to fill the breach.
 
Kennedy responded with a creditable eight saves.
 
The visiting Ecclesia side raced out to a 3-0 lead with goals in the 3rd, 26th, and 33rd minutes. Kyle Morris drilled in his first goal of the season in the waning seconds of the first half on a free kick just outside the box to make it 3-1 at the intermission.
 
Then, in the 49th minute, Morris came through once again. Morris converted a penalty kick goal to tighten matters at 3-2, with more than forty minutes still to play.
 
But the Royals' pain of playing down a man the entire second half (due to a red card to close out the first period) did not seem to matter. Ecclesia answered the Owls' threat by netting a pair of short-handed goals in the 59th and 72nd minutes.
 
MUW's Jordan Ware netted his team-leading third goal of the season in the 89th minute for the 3-1 final score.
 
The W returns to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Thursday (Oct. 3/3 p.m.) when it travels to Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill.