ALLENTOWN, Pa. ­­– The Lebanon Valley College Men's Soccer team dropped a 2-0 battle in its first road game of the season at Muhlenberg College on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at Varsity Field. Nathan Prex led LVC's offense with four shots, while goalkeeper Dalton Fitterling made three saves. 

This match was a defensive battle early, as the Dutchmen and the Mules prevented each other from registering a shot for nearly 11 minutes at the start. Lebanon Valley took the first shot of the afternoon, as Nolan Ross sent a ball toward the net that was saved 10:54 into the first half. Lucas Strange also worked to create scoring chances for the program, taking a pair of shots within 28 seconds during a stretch that began near the end of the 12^th minute. 

Lebanon Valley later had an offensive opportunity 20:15 into the game, as Prex took a penalty kick that was saved. Muhlenberg then opened the scoring 23:40 into the contest, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Sebastian Tis. The Flying Dutchmen followed this by continuing to send shots toward the net as the first half progressed, as Connor Given, Darryl Greenwood, and Simon Grimes each took shots within a period of 1:43 that began in the 35^th minute. The Mules proceeded to take their 1-0 advantage into halftime.

The programs kept going back and forth defensively as the game went into half two, preventing each other from taking a shot for over five minutes at the start. Lebanon Valley registered the first attempt of the stanza, as Matthew Weinstock-Collins took a shot at the 50:26 mark. Prex remained a key contributor to the squad's offensive efforts, sending a header shot toward the net 59:38 into the game. Defensively, Fitterling posted a save for the Dutchmen 61:35 into the contest to maintain the score.  

The Mules then tacked on a point 77:49 into the match, extending their lead to 2-0 on a goal by Gabe Blikshteyn. The Mules took another shot just 2:16 later, but Fitterling was there to make an important save. The graduate student goalkeeper faced another attempt on a header shot 84:09 into the match and made another key stop for LVC. The Dutchmen continued to deliver a strong effort until the final minute, as Strange took a shot that was saved with 1:03 remaining, and Prex logged an attempt that was saved with just 18 seconds left. Muhlenberg maintained its advantage through the end of play. 

Inside the Box Score

• The Dutchmen outshot the Mules 17-9 during the contest. Both programs took five shots on goal. 
• Prex led LVC with a game-high four shots while tying a game-high two attempts on goal.
• Strange tallied three total shot attempts, including one shot on goal. 
• Nathan Kimball, Ross, Given, and Grimes each registered two shots. 
• Lebanon Valley logged seven corner kicks while Muhlenberg had four. 
• Fitterling made three saves. 

Up Next
The Flying Dutchmen will return to action at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, as the program will host Penn State Harrisburg at Herbert Field. 

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