Sept. 12, 2003

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Finishing games is sometimes the toughest thing to do in sports. Unfortunately, the University of Wisconsin-Milwuakee men's soccer team has found that out the hard way early on in 2003. UWM fell to 3-2 on the season when a goal in the 90th minute helped push the University of Dayton to a 3-2 victory in the first game of the Louisville/Seelbach Classic here Friday (Sept. 12). The loss is the second in three games for UWM, with the first coming in overtime versus Denver last Saturday.

"We are just not playing well enough to win, it's that simple," UWM head coach Louis Bennett said. "We aren't finishing and finding the net like we need to. We just aren't playing good soccer right now. Yeah, we got some tough breaks but those are excuses. We have to play better."

Dayton took an early lead in the first half when Tye Stebbins made it 1-0 Flyers on a goal at the 12:03 mark. The goal was a bit of a fluke as Stebbins was able to corral the ball after a UWM clearing pass struck the referee and caromed to Stebbins. Dayton took a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute when Nate Darr headed home a corner kick.

Milwaukee came storming back late in the second half as the senior forward tandem of Kyle Lance and B.J. Blake eventually helped tie the game. Lance cut the Flyer lead in half, 2-1, when he collected on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Blake tied the game at the 77:37 mark when he headed home a Lance corner kick. After the furious rally, the game appeared to be headed to overtime before UD broke the Panthers' hearts. Joe Hall corraled a Stebbens corner kick with 40 seconds left in the game for the game-winner.

"Just like last season's NCAA game versus Creighton, we got beat on restarts and corner kicks," Bennett added. "I am proud of the way we battled back in the second half and we finally started to show some of the fire and flair we had last year. Hopefully we can get back on track."

UWM will look to rebound on Sunday (Sept. 12) when it faces Memphis in the second day of the Louisville/Seelbach Classic. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m. CST.