Fontbonne Men's Soccer Suffers First Conference Loss Against Spalding

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Fontbonne University men's soccer team suffered its first conference loss on Saturday falling to Spalding, 4-2.

Game Breakdown

Spalding held a 5-3 shot advantage through the first 18:00 minutes of play but were able to break the scoreless tie in the 21^st minute. Luc Cesar dribbled up the near side of the field and passed it into the box for a cutting Chadrack Mulondani, who beat TJ Balducci, giving the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.

The Golden Eagles extended its lead out to 2-0 when Mulondani's corner kick attempt found the head of Ahmadou Gueye and he scored into the near post in the 31^st minute.

Fontbonne kept battling and cut the deficit down to one in the 35^th minute. The team was awarded a corner kick of its own and took advantage. Jared Lyeki's cross towards the far post was placed perfectly onto the head of Blake Ruffino as he scored his first on the year.

Prior to the half ending, though the Golden Eagles took the momentum right back. Chris Encarnacion received the ball near the top of the box, passed it off to Coen Beach and he scored into the top right corner giving Spalding a two-goal lead at the break.

In the second half, the Griffins didn't wait long to get back to within one goal. Off TJ Balducci's kick, Jarid Morton flicked it up ahead for Tanner Harris and with Spalding goalie Trevor Massa coming out of net for the loose ball, Harris got there first and lifted it over Massa for his third goal on the season in the 53^rd minute.

Both teams had its fair amount of scoring chances as the clock continued to tick away but in the end it was Spalding, who added another goal in the 84^th minute, that was able to go on for the two-goal win.

Fontbonne Notables

• The Griffins finished with 14 shots.
• Andrew Kneale, Jared Lyeki, Brandon Baumgartner, Harris, and Ruffino had two shots each.
• In net, TJ Balducci made four saves.

Up Next

The Griffins are back at home on Tuesday when they'll host Westminster. Kick-off at 6 p.m., from Centene Stadium.

About Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University is a private, Catholic liberal arts university located in St. Louis, committed to a transformative education and inspiring students to become global citizens who think critically, act ethically and serve responsibly. The university, founded in 1923, is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. For more information, visit www.fontbonne.edu.

Make sure to follow men's soccer on all its social media accounts: Twitter (@FbuMenssoccer), Instagram (@fontbonne_mens_soccer) and Facebook (/FontbonneUGriffins).