NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's soccer team opened the 2021 season with a 7-1 defeat to Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) on Wednesday.

The Vikings jumped on top early thanks to a goal by Mick Van De Kolk in the fourth minute, and then added two more tallies by striker Max Busch in the 17th and 23rd minutes, respectively, to take a 3-0 lead.

MLC got on the board in the 29th minute when Isaias Santos scored off a rebound to cut the deficit to 3-1. 

That would be all the scoring the Knights could muster, however, as BLC added one more goal late in the first half, and then scored three times in the second half to push the final advantage to 7-1.

The Vikings outshot the Knights 27-13 overall for the game, including 13-5 in shots on goal. Lucas Martin led MLC with four total shots. Josiah Wordell and Xander Heiman each registered a pair of shots.

MLC fell to 0-1 on the season and in UMAC play in defeat. BLC improved to 1-0 overall and in league play with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Monday, September 6, when they travel to Saint Mary's for a game scheduled to start at 7 p.m.