MILWAUKEE – Robert Morris scored twice in the first six minutes and never looked back in taking a 5-0 victory over the Milwaukee men's soccer team Saturday afternoon at Engelmann Stadium.
 
The Panthers (1-4-2, 0-1 Horizon League) fell behind the Colonials (2-3, 2-0 Horizon League) quickly and could never recover despite sizable advantages in possession and shots on the day.
 
Chase Gilley started a big day for himself right out of the gates, heading in the first goal of the day at the 4:30 mark.
 
The shocking start became a real problem for Milwaukee after the visitors scored again in the sixth minute and made it 3-0 at the 9:31 mark.
 
Gilley capped his impressive outing with his third goal of the afternoon at the 23:23 mark for the hat trick.
 
The MKE defense regrouped at intermission and did a great job in the second, not allowing a goal in addition to just three shots after seeing RMU get 11 in the opening period.
 
The stunned Panthers ended the day with 63 percent possession and a shot count advantage of 18-14, but could not get anything going on the scoreboard in falling in their league opener.
 
The team also earned nine of the 12 corner kicks on the day but could only turn four of the 18 total shots on target, limiting the comeback potential.
 
David Cox and Abdu Regassa paced the offense with four shots each; Raul Medina and Logan Farrington each finished with three. In goal, Gijs Van Schouten was credited with a pair of saves.
 
Up next is a big one, as the "Milwaukee Cup" returns for the first time since the 2019 season. Off the schedule for the past two seasons due to COVID-19, the city rivalry is set for Tuesday at Valley Fields, with a kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Panthers have held the cup since a 2-0 victory in 2017.