MORRIS, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's soccer team lost 2-0 in its conference opener at University of Minnesota Morris on Tuesday.

The Knights fell behind early, as Austin Keller just 2:43 into the game to put the Cougars up 1-0.

The teams battled for the next goal from that point, as both defenses and goalkeepers kept the other scoreless until the 86th minute, when UMM's Zachary Johnson (who assisted on the first goal) finally scored the insurance goal to put the Knights away.

The Cougars were credited with 23 shots compared to eight for MLC, but the Knights nearly matched UMM in terms of scoring chances on goal. The Cougars put nine shots on goal, while MLC finished with six.

Caleb King stopped seven of the nine shots he faced in goal for MLC, while Aaron Swanson and Erich Osterman each finished with two shots on goal.

The Knights fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play in defeat. UMM improved to 1-6 on the season and 1-1 in league play.

MLC will return to action on Friday, September 18, when it hosts Crown College in a game scheduled to start at 2 p.m.