(Kansas City, Mo.) - UMKC men's soccer suffered an upset in the season opener at the hands of the fledgling Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, 2-1 on Friday night at Durwood Soccer Stadium and Recreational Field.
The 'Roos (0-1) opened the scoring with a penalty kick goal from senior midfielder Chris Markey in the fourth minute after a UNO player was called for a hand ball in the box off a corner kick.
The Mavericks (1-0) fought back from the early deficit with a couple close misses in the middle of the half, and went into the break with a narrow 5-4 advantage in shots.
UNO came out strong to start the second half with another close opportunity, but sophomore goalkeeper Kevin Corby was up to the task, saving a point blank shot by Logan Mendez. He would finish the next opportunity in the 56th minute though, scoring on a breakaway after a mis-played ball by the UMKC defense.
The Mavericks grabbed the lead in the 64th minute on a header by Mo Salama off a corner kick. UMKC dominated play from there, pushing deep into UNO territory with possession for the final 15 minutes. The Mavs defense was up to the task though, keeping the 'Roos off the scoreboard and limiting them to only a couple shots.
UNO out-shot UMKC by an 11-6 margin in the contest.
UMKC will host No. 10 Creighton on Wednesday at DSSRF with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
