PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men's soccer team out-shot North American 28 to 11, and had 11 shots on target to NAU's six, but better accuracy by the Stallions sent the Wildcats to a 5-2 defeat in the Red River Athletic Conference opener for both teams Thursday night at Wildcat Field.
 
While LCU (2-3, 0-1 RRAC) had the game's first two shots within the first five minutes of the contest, NAU scored the match's first goal in the sixth minute, converting on a penalty kick opportunity to take the lead, which the Stallions would not give up.
 
The Stallions (2-2-1, 1-0 RRAC) added goals in the 13^th and 33^rd minutes to take a 3-0 lead into the halftime break, even though the Wildcats had nearly triple the number of shots taken in the period than NAU did, 14-5.
 
LCU's early corner kick opportunity as a way to get back in the match only served to get the Wildcats further out of it as the Stallions hit the Wildcats on the counterattack and added a fourth goal in the 50^th minute.
 
The Wildcat pressure finally resulted in a goal in the 54^th minute as Aran Hernandez Vivar was able to get his head to a loose ball in the box, sending it across to Duarte Mendes, who stuck a toe out and tapped it inside the right post for his second goal of the season to cut the deficit down to 4-1.
 
LCU pulled even closer in the 80^th minute as Ezra Williams sent a cross into the box, which found the head of Hernandez Vivar and was redirected inside the left post for Hernandez Vivar's second goal of the season, cutting the deficit in half, down to 4-2 with 10 minutes left for a comeback.
 
But the comeback was not to be as, just two minutes later, the Stallions busted through the back line again and found a fifth goal, stunting the Wildcats' momentum and securing the 5-2 result.
 
LCU ended the contest with 28 shots, 11 on frame, as a team while North American had 11 shots and six on frame in the contest. The Wildcats also took 11 corner kicks in the match to just one for the Stallions.
 
Juan Sierra took six shots to lead the Wildcats, putting two on target. Hernandez Vivar had five, four on frame, including his goal while also adding an assist in the contest. Both Ezra Williams and Gustavo Varnier took four shots, putting one on target each.
 
Juan Diego Ramirez Leon was credited with LCU's lone save in the match, one of two goalkeepers to get work in the match for the Wildcats.
 
The Wildcats finish out the first weekend of conference play on Saturday as Texas A&M-Victoria come to Pineville to finish the week's play. Kickoff of the match against the Jaguars (4-4, 0-1 RRAC) is set for 3 p.m. at Wildcat Field.