FREDERICK - The Wilkes University men's soccer team lost a close match on the road against the Hood College Blazers 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

The loss drops the Colonels to 1-4-2 on the season, and the win improves the Blazers to 3-2-1.

Wilkes fell behind early in the first half as Hood scored on their very first shot of the game. Terrell Funchess found the back of the net off an assist from Cristian Topovich to make it 1-0 Blazers at 6:38.

The Blazers scored again at 25:51 when Zeth Zambrano set up Jonathan Fuentes for his first goal of the season to make it 2-0. Looking for a spark, the Colonels took nine shots in the first half, but only one of those shots was on goal and they ended up going into halftime trailing by two.

In the second half, Wilkes doubled up the Blazers in shots 10-5 and that constant pressure helped the team cut into the deficit. Landon Kelly (Marcellus, NY/Marcellus Senior High School) found the back of the net for his second goal of the season at 60:52, and Luke Ferrarese (Bel Air, MD/Calvert Hall College) earned the assist to make it 2-1 Hood.

The Colonels had plenty of time to get that second goal, but weren't able to get it. The team had chances in the waning moments of the match, taking six shots after Kelly's goal, but none of them went in as the Blazers held on for the victory.

Wilkes outshot Hood 19-11 for the game but lost the shots on goal battle 6-3. Individually, Kelly finished with the lone Colonels goal on one shot. Ferrarese finished the lone assist and took three shots, but the team leader in shots was Elijah Emedoh-Kaba (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown Area) with four. In net, goalkeeper Matthew Conti (Florence, NJ/Florence Township Memorial High School) took the loss allowing two goals and making three saves in 45 minutes of action, and Landon Keller (Provo, UT/Timpview) came in for the second half and made one save.

The Colonels return home to Bruggeworth Field this Tuesday, Sept. 23 for their next game against the Ursinus College Bears. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m.