THE JUNGLE SOCCER COMPLEX | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Men's Soccer team returned to action at home on Saturday Night, Sept. 2, hosting William Penn University (Ia.) for the first meeting in program history. Mobile, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA and the heavy favorite entering Saturday's match, saw the Statesmen come away with a 4-0 victory to hand the Rams their second loss in three matches played on the year. The upset loss drops Mobile's overall record to 1-2-0 on the season, while William Penn stays undefeated at 4-0-1.
For Mobile, the 1-2-0 start marks the first time since the 2009 season that the Rams have lost two of the first three matches played to open the year.
Match Recap: William Penn Shuts Down Mobile
Saturday's match could not have started better for William Penn as the Statesmen hit the scoreboard in just the third minute of the match. The header goal by Luigi Mongan only built energy and confidence on William Penn's side, with Mobile playing from behind early. Just 10 minutes later, William Penn pushed across the second goal of the match, officially putting Mobile on upset alert. From there, both teams went to halftime with a 2-0 score on the board.
In the second half, the Rams threatened the William Penn back line more frequently, but were unable to push across a goal. Meanwhile, the Statesmen added two more goals on Mobile in the time span of four minutes beginning in the 56th minute. Despite eight second half shots, the Rams were held scoreless and eventually fell to William Penn, 4-0.
The Statesmen took 17 total shots in the match, with 10 being on-goal. Mobile played without one of their top strikers on Saturday as Lucas Ros, the team leader in goals scored last season, was unavailable. Even in Ros' absence, the Rams tallied 13 shots, but saw just three on target. Zacharia Hasler led Mobile with three shots in the loss.
Time to Rebound
Following Saturday's defeat, Mobile is set to hit the road for the first time during the 2023 season, playing three-straight road matches beginning on Saturday, Sept. 9. Mobile is scheduled to face NCAA D-II opponent Auburn University of Montgomery (Ala.) next Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. CT kickoff in Montgomery, Ala.
Following the match versus AUM, the Rams will open up SSAC play with a match against Point University (Ga.) on Sept. 14.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams (Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
