FRANKLIN, Wis. – The Milwaukee men's soccer team made a valiant effort to dig out of a 2-0 halftime hole against UIC, coming up just short in the 2-1 decision Tuesday at the Mosh Performance Center.
 
"I was very pleased with the second half after giving up two goals against a good team," head coach Kris Kelderman said. "The first half, we were down 2-0, but I don't think the score really defined the half. We had some good looks and they had a couple of shots and hammered both of them away."
 
The Panthers (1-2-0) got behind in the first when things could have easily gone the other way against The Flames (2-0-1), who took advantage of two opportunities to take control of the contest.
 
"We regrouped at halftime and came out with a lot more energy," Kelderman said. "I am very pleased with the response from our guys coming out in the second half. And it showed, instantly … the energy was good, the quality was better."
 
Milwaukee made halftime adjustments and were very sharp in the second half, getting on the scoreboard in the 63^rd minute on Paolo Gratton's header.
 
"We said 'one goal at a time' and we got the one goal and it changed the game," Kelderman said. "We had the momentum of the half. I feel comfortable with where we are at physically, just the pressure moments in front of the goal is where we are trying to get better."
 
The game could have taken a much different script early. Sokratis Vasilas was in the only place he could have been to stop a volley rocketed off the foot of David Cox in the 11^th minute, keeping it 0-0 at the time.
 
The Flames then finished off their first shot on goal, making it 1-0 at the 12:36 mark. Vasilas came up big again on Logan Farrington's blast to the post in the 24^th minute which was, once again, followed up by a second UIC goal in the 31^st minute to make it 2-0.
 
Down 2-1 after Colin Alba and Wasihun Ewnetu set up Gratton for his second goal of the year, MKE nearly had the equalizer a handful of times. Raul Medina's throw-in found Cox behind the defense, firing just wide of the open side of the net in the 70^th.
 
Kasper Davidsson's header whistled past the right post off a corner kick in the 75^th minute as well.
 
Nick Chiappa finished the contest with a pair of saves for the Panthers, including a brilliant stop in the 81^st that kept it a one-goal game late. Vasilas finished with four stops in the win.
 
The Flames ended the match with a 16-14 advantage in shots, with MKE the 5-4 edge in shots on goal. The Panthers also had four of the six corner kicks, with Davidsson pacing the offense with four shots.
 
Up next, the Panthers continue with a road contest at Detroit Mercy Monday. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CST.