After winning four of its last five games, the men’s soccer team hit a rough patch, losing to both Xavier (Sept. 20) and La Salle (Sept. 23) 1-0.

The Bison went into halftime tied at zero with Xavier but came inches away from a goal in the first half. Sebastiaan Blickman’s ’17 header just missed the net, unable to break the tie.

In the second half, Xavier scored on a loose ball that bounced off a Bison following a cleared corner kick. Had the ball taken another bounce, the Bison would have been able to clear the ball, showing how soccer is a game of inches.

“[It was a] tough loss,” goalkeeper Mike Lansing ’16 said. “Xavier was a good team and has made it to the NCAA tournament three out of the last four years, but I thought it was a very evenly fought game. I thought we ended up having better chances than them, but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”

Focusing on their next opponent, the Bison had beaten La Salle five straight times before this match. Last year at Emmitt Field, the Explorers took a 1-0 lead into the second half, but two second-half goals won it for the Bison. Even though the Bison have had recent success over the Explorers, they were unable to score for the second straight game.

“La Salle is always a tough opponent. They are a hard-working and physical team,” Patrick Figgie ’16 said.

Again, the Bison took a 0-0 tie into the second half but were unable to respond after an early second-half goal from La Salle. La Salle’s defense stepped up in the second half and shut down the Orange and Blue even after some great shots on goal.

Despite the losses, the Bison have only allowed five goals in eight games and had the shot advantage in both games versus Xavier and La Salle. These are things the Bison can use as motivation as they head into league play.

The Bison will be back in action on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at Army in their Patriot League opener.