For 70 minutes Sunday afternoon, the UNC Wilmington men’s soccer team outplayed their CAA opponent Drexel. However, things fell apart in the last twenty minutes of action as the Dragons recorded three goals en route to a 3-0 victory over the Seahawks at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.

The Seahawks, who are still looking for their first win in Colonial Athletic Association play this season, found themselves on the short end of numerous scoring opportunities. Instead of celebrating goals, Seahawk players found themselves shaking their heads as many shots sailed over the crossbar all afternoon.

“We did some good things, but as for clear-cut chances, there weren’t many,” UNCW head coach Aidan Heaney said.

The match featured a good deal of physical play, as the referees allowed a fair amount of fouls to go uncalled to the dismay of the UNCW crowd. The Seahawks outshot the Dragons, 15-11, and 9-6 in the first half, yet neither team would break the ice in the first 45 minutes.

The Seahawks controlled the ball through most of the first and second halves before Drexel struck late in the second half. On what looked to be a routine clear of the ball, Seahawks goalie Bill Mills hesitated slightly and allowed Drexel to gain control of the ball near the top of the box. Drexel forward Daniel Zajac’s attempt was saved by a Seahawk defender who headed the ball back out, but teammate Mike Hines drilled a kick into the upper lefthand corner of the goal to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead at the 70:46 mark.

Just four minutes later, Drexel padded its lead after sophomore midfielder Mike Lindbolm nailed a kick past Seahawks goalie Harri Staven, who had just entered the game replacing Mills. Lindbolm added his second goal of the season at the 84:46 mark when he beat Staven again to complete the scoring.

UNCW, who began the season at 5-0, has now lost four of its last five games and now stares down two weekend road games against CAA rivals.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” Heaney said. “We are such a young team and hopefully this was a learning experience for us.”

“This was a bad game for us, as was Friday,” senior co-captain Austin MacPhee said. “We dominated, but it comes down to putting the ball in the back of the net.”

To UNCW’s credit, the team is in the midst of a tough stretch in its schedule. The Seahawks find themselves a young team in a conference that is beginning to gain a lot of respect. However, MacPhee and the Seahawks know there is work to be done.

“Only six (teams) go to the conference tournament; we have to get a win soon to have a chance,” MacPhee said. “Our results haven’t reflected our effort.”