Lynchburg, Va. – The Southern Virginia University men's soccer team came up just short in a tightly contested non-conference battle Saturday night, falling 1-0 to Randolph College.

The opening half featured an even back-and-forth with chances on both sides. The Knights created opportunities through Tate Hickman and Jacob Cornejo, while late efforts from Dante Leguizamon and Alex Qian kept the Wildcats on their heels heading into the break.

Randolph struck quickly out of halftime, scoring in the first minute of the second half to take the lead. Southern Virginia responded with pressure, including Cornejo's third shot of the night that forced a diving save. Hickman followed with back-to-back attempts, both narrowly stopped by the Wildcats' keeper.

Leguizamon continued to provide energy up front, adding another shot on goal, but the Randolph defense proved difficult to break down as the Knights were unable to find the equalizer.

Statistically, the match was evenly balanced with the Knights posting 11 shots to Randolph's 13, and a near-even split in corner kicks (SVU 3, Randolph 4). Troy Chamberlain recorded five saves in goal, while Hickman and Cornejo led the team with three shots each.

Southern Virginia now turns its attention to its home opener, hosting Bridgewater College on Tuesday, September 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Buena Vista.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightmsoccer on Instagram.