SAN FRANCISCO – The No. 24 FGCU men's soccer team (1-2-2) controlled play throughout, held a 19-7 shot edge and had a one-man advantage for more than 40 minutes but ultimately couldn't find a goal as the Eagles dropped a second-consecutive 1-0 game in California, this time Sunday afternoon to Saint Mary's (3-2-0).
 
Saint Mary's only had two shots on goal all game, but one found the back of the net as Will Kendall – who played just 22 minutes – headed in his first goal of the season in the 78th minute off a free kick following a Nicolas Samayoa (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Colegio Valle Verde) foul which resulted in a yellow card.
 
FGCU peppered Gaels' keeper Andre Rawls, forcing him into seven saves – five of which came in the second half – and the Eagles also had several set-piece opportunities, out-cornered Saint Mary's to the tune of 12 to 1 and had a shot hit the post and another ring off the crossbar.
 
"This was another extremely frustrating game for us," head coach Bob Butehorn said. "We controlled a majority of the play but just couldn't finish and that's something that needs to change moving forward. Saint Mary's got a well-deserved win, especially playing down a man."
 
That man was Antonio Lokossou, who elbowed FGCU goalkeeper Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) below the belt following a 50-50 challenge in the box in the 42nd minute. Up to that point, the Green and Blue had, for the most part, controlled the pace of play, and appeared destined to strike in the second half.
 
In that second half, FGCU racked up eight corners, nine shots overall and five on frame but couldn't beat Rawls. Following the Gaels' goal, Samayoa was issued a straight red card in the 85th minute for shoving down a Saint Mary's player away from the ball. However, with the sides even at 10, FGCU had several chances over the closing minutes to net the equalizer.
 
In the final five minutes alone, the Eagles had three shots on target and two corners. Second-half substitute Santiago Echeverri (Medellin, Colombia./Celebration HS) had the first great look as he got in-between the Gaels' defenders and fired a shot from close range which was deflected out by Rawls for a corner. After the ensuing corner didn't yield anything, Arion Sobers-Assue (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic HS) had his shot in the 87th minute also saved by Rawls. The last effort of the afternoon also came from the freshman, as Echeverri placed his corner effort onto the head of Sobers-Assue, but once again Rawls was equal to the task.
 
Coupled with its 1-0 loss Friday at San Francisco, the 1-0 setback to Saint Mary's marks the first time in program history that FGCU has dropped consecutive 1-0 contests in regulation. The Eagles lost two straight 1-0 games during the 2009 season, but the second (Sept. 7 at FAU) came in overtime.
 
Butehorn stressed the importance of his team getting off to a fast start Sunday, and the Eagles nearly struck in the 5th minute of the contest after Rodrigo Saravia (Guatemala City, Guatemala/College Internacional Montessori) controlled a ball in the central pitch and deftly touched a pass to Skylar Wilks (Tampa, Fla./Newsome HS), who had stepped up from his left back position. The senior then ripped a shot from about 30 yards out and rang it off the right post. Albert Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/UE Cornella/CE L'Hospitalet) was there for the follow, but on a bumpy playing service couldn't get ideal control and his follow-up shot was saved.
 
Wilks' shots from long range continued over the next several minutes as he attempted two more from 30+ yards – one off a set piece and another in a counter situation, but both were off target. The Eagles continued to apply pressure and built a 5-0 shot advantage after nearly 25 minutes of play.
 
The Green and Blue kept up the full-press attack and Isaiah Madrid (Albuquerque, N.M./El Dorado HS/Westminster) eventually laced a shot of the crossbar in the 41st minute. On the ensuing scramble, Ruiz grabbed control and played a ball into Miguel Jaime (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), who appeared to be stepped on in the box by a Saint Mary's defender. The referee immediately signaled for a penalty kick, but the linesman instead ruled that Jaime had dived, and the freshman was issued a yellow card.
 
Saint Mary's has now won three games in a row after dropping its first two outings of the season. The Gaels were coming off wins at then-No. 4 Washington, 2-1, and at home versus Central Arkansas, 3-1. Seven different FGCU players attempted a shot in the contest, led by a game-high five from Madrid. Striker Felipe DeSousa (Tampa, Fla./Wharton HS) played 45 minutes, but was hampered by a lower-body injury as he attempted four shots – the majority of which came in the first half.
 
FGCU returns home next week for another marquee match against Washington on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. The Huskies are currently No. 10 in the nation with a 4-1-0 record following a 3-1 victory over Pennsylvania Sunday. Washington went 16-2-4 last year, won the Pac 12 Conference title and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament after earning the No. 2 overall seed. The Huskies finished the campaign ranked No. 5 in the nation and return eight starters from that team. Following the tilt with Washington, FGCU will welcome Brown to the FGCU Soccer Complex on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: This was the first meeting between the two programs … the game was played on campus at Garaventa Field (mostly used for intramural contests) as opposed to the 5,500-seat Saint Mary's Stadium which is undergoing facility renovations … this is the second straight year and third time in the past four seasons that FGCU has traveled to the West Coast.

For 2014 men's soccer ticket information, visit the Alico Arena Ticket Office, call 239-590-7145 or log on to FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets. For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer and Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer.