Final Stats
KANSAS CITY - The UNO men's soccer team got its program off to a thrilling start with a 2-1 win over defending Summit League champion UMKC on Friday night at Durwood Soccer Stadium.
The Mavs (1-0) gave up a penalty kick goal in the first four minutes of the match, but responded with two second half goals to win their inaugural game over the Kangaroos (0-1). Mo Salama scored the game winner in the 64th minute off a corner kick from Jordan Gealy.
Although the Mavs may have been nervous playing their first-ever game, they didn't show it, as they rebounded from the penalty kick goal and outplayed the defending Summit League regular-season champions for most of the game. The game was the first form of competition for the Mavs since the program was founded in March. UMKC had already played two exhibition matches this season.
In the fourth minute, UMKC played a corner kick into the six-yard box, and the ball hit a UNO hand in the scramble in front of the goal, resulting in a penalty kick for the Kangaroos. Chris Markey slotted it home in the left corner for the Roos for the 1-0 lead. UNO goalie Josh Christensen had the right read on the shot, but the shot was executed well.
In the 13th minute, UNO nearly drew even. A nifty ball by Logan Mendez sprung A.J. Chedel down the right side. Chedel dropped it back to Mendez, whose cross found Cody Thayer streaking into the box. Thayer took a touch and ripped an odd-angled shot from 10 yards out that went just wide of the far post.
The Mavs continued to attack in the 29th minute, when Mendez fought his way down the right side, cut into the box and to his left and ripped a left-footed shot that would've found the lower right corner, but was saved by the keeper.
UNO's best chance of the first half came in the 35th minute. Tyler Dixon made a great run with the ball down the center of the pitch and found Isaac Beber wide open in the left side of the box. With the keeper charging out, Beber's shot from 10 yards out rolled just right of the far post. UNO held a 5-4 advantage in shots in the first half. At the other end, the Mavs' back line of JJ Zekpa, BJ Kabamba, Salama and Ameer Pinto was solid in denying the Kangaroos' star forwards, Jimmy Simon and Jordan Rideout.
In the second half, the Mavs finally struck. In the 56th minute, Vance Rookwood played a long through ball behind the Kangaroos' backline, and Mendez dribbled in on a breakaway from about 40 yards out. About eight yards away from the goal, Mendez tucked the ball inside the right post for the first goal in UNO history.
The Mavs weren't done, though. In the 64th minute, Gealy played in a corner kick, and Salama deflected it into the net from inside the six-yard box for a 2-1 Maverick lead, setting off a wild celebration among the estimated 50 UNO fans that made the trip down.
Despite a few early season cramps, the Mavs held strong in the tense final minutes to produce the first win in school history. UNO finished with an 11-6 advantage in shots.
UNO returns home on Sunday for the first home game in school history, as No. 24 UC Irvine comes to Omaha for the 5 p.m., match.
