For the Mid-Continent University men's soccer team, the first half of the 2012 season has been filled with ups and downs, and with the postseason just a month away, the pressure to reach the .500 mark and qualify for the NCCAA regional tournament is beginning to build. Unfortunately for the Cougars, their playoff chances were dealt a tough blow on Monday afternoon.
Mid-Continent (3-5-1) surrendered four first half goals to the Cumberland University Bulldogs (2-7-1), en route to a 6-1 loss on the road in Lebanon, Tenn.
Cumberland drew first blood early in the match, capitalizing on a missed clearance attempt with a goal from Tevonne Morris to open the scoring and put the Bulldogs on top 1-0. The Cougars responded with good effort in the ensuing minutes, and Jamison Imhoff had two great scoring chances early on, but he was unable to cash either of them in, and the Bulldogs maintained the 1-0 lead. In the middle stages of the period, however, Cumberland broke the match open thanks to a pair of goals from Harry Mason that came just 1:27 apart to stretch their advantage to 3-0. Marconi Neto made it 4-0 in the 29th minute, and that would be the margin at intermission. Keagan Bacchus netted his sixth tally of the season in the 49th minute, but it was too little too late. Mason capped off his hat trick in the 56th minute, and Mark Harrison capped the scoring in the 77th minute, providing the final margin of 6-1.
Sully Shattuck (2-5) earned the win between the pipes for the Bulldogs, with Adam Lewis (2-3) taking the loss for Mid-Continent.
The Cougars will have to regroup quickly, as they face another road test on Thursday, when they head to St. Louis, Mo. to take on the Missouri Baptist University Spartans (1-9). The match is scheduled for 3 p.m.