WASHINGTON D.C.– A short-handed Eastern University Men's Soccer squad gave the host and No. 20 Catholic University Cardinals (9-1-1) all they could handle in a hard-fought 3-2 loss. Julio Ardon and Aiden Link scored goals.

How It Happened:
Twice the Eagles (4-6-1) rallied from a goal down. The Cardinals grabbed the lead on a  25-yard rocket in the 12th minute, as the half drew to a close, the Eagles had several reserves in the game. Those players put the Catholic back row under pressure. Julio Ardon picked up a loose ball near the top of the box and after a quick move to his right bent a ball into the upper right corner of the net to tie the match at 1-1 going to the half.

Through 45 minutes, Catholic had an 8-5 edge in shots, but the Eagles three corners to two for the hosts.

With Catholic finding a goal in the 49th minute, the second half got off to a rough start. The Eagles again found an answer in the 58th minute. Derek Burhman fired a testing shot that Catholic goalkeeper Troy Young stopped, but Aiden Link was in the right spot to tap in his second goal of the year.

The Eagles had more pressure through the middle part of the second half, but the hosts took advantage of a turnover in the defensive half to pull back ahead in the 72nd minute. The Eagles, this time, would not be able to find the equalizer. Eastern's best late chance came on a serve from the left by Emmanuel Hewitt in the 86th minute. Sam Sutherland got a toe on the ball in the six-yard box, but with the keeper closing ground, he was unable to get his shot on frame.

Down two players for card accumulation, the Eagles made some tactical changes. Dylan Smith made five stops in his first start in goal.

Coach Payne Says:
"I thought we put in a decent performance tonight. Obviously Catholic is a good side and they are having a terrific season. However, we made it tough on them. There were stretches in the game where I thought we were the better team."

"We made three critical mistakes. They scored three goals. When you play good teams, they punish you for mistakes."

"I am very encouraged by the effort and mentality of our group tonight. There was belief. There was passion. And when we ran out of time, we were gutted. That is how it should be when you really care. I think tonight showed our group that we can play top teams and compete and that our group has potential to be a top team in the future as we continue to grow."

"I think it is important to point out that we are not happy with the result. The moment we are happy with our effort and the way we played without getting a result, is the moment that we go in a bad direction. I think we have a top program here at Eastern. Our mentality should reflect that."

Up Next:
The Eagles are on the road again on Saturday. They will open the MAC Freedom schedule with an important match at King's. The Monarchs reached the Conference final at Eastern in 2018.