NEW ULM, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's soccer team suffered a tough 2-1 defeat at Martin Luther College on Friday. The Cougars went down two goals with less than 20 minutes to play and quickly got one back, but could not complete the comeback, falling 2-1. The loss leaves the Cougars at 5-11-1 (5-5-1 UMAC).

The scoring opened in the 12th minute for Martin Luther with Josiah Wordell sending in a low, skidding shot from just outside the 18-yard area. Lucas Harmon dove and was able to get a hand to it, but couldn't stop it from finding a corner to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Harmon kept the Cougars within a goal with less than 20 minutes to play, stopping a penalty kick from Lucas Martin. However, the Knights did double their lead a minute later as Xander Heimen took advantage of a bobbled ball from Harmon off of a Martin Luther corner kick

Harmon kept the Cougars within a goal with less than 20 minutes to play with a stop on a penalty kick from Martin Luther, but the Knights did double their lead a minute later as Xander Heimen took advantage of a bobbled ball from Harmon off of a Martin Luther corner kick to make it 2-0.

Minnesota Morris pulled one back in the 75th minute. Starting with the ball back in their own defensive third, a lead pass found Carter Watkinson and his incisive pass to the feet of Carver Hammond was finished off by the sophomore to make it 2-1. In the late stages, the Cougars had shots on goal from Chris Goers and Charlie Peterson, but MLC's Michael Friesenegger was there to make the stop on each to preserve the one-goal victory for the Knights.

Harmon ended with seven saves on the day. Hammond led the Cougars with four shots, while Mayson Palen had two.

Minnesota Morris finishes up its road trip tomorrow with a 3:30 p.m. start against Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato.