MARS HILL, N.C. – On Thursday (Feb. 11) the Anderson University men's soccer team finished with a 1-1 draw against Mars Hill University in the 2021 season opener on the road.

It was a competitive first half of play on a rainy night at the Ammons Family Athletic Center & Meares Stadium. Neither team was able to find the back of the net, but both sides created plenty of scoring opportunities that head coach Michael Zion was pleased with. For the entire game, the Trojans outshot the Lions 15 to six.

"I am proud of the team and the effort we put forth tonight," said Zion. "Despite not getting the results we wanted, there were a lot of positives to take away from tonight's match."

Early in the second half, Mars Hill was able to get on the scoreboard as Sebastian Bertilsson found the back of the net. The Trojans bounced back in the 69th minute when Harry Ward launched a shot from outside the 18-yard box that fired past the opposing keeper Brennan Whalen into the back of the net. Both defenses held strong from this point on as the score remained 1-1 heading into overtime.

In the 106th minute, the Trojans had another opportunity in the attacking third as Harry Ward escaped the Lions' back line. Ward had possession in the middle of the box and fired a shot on goal but opposing keeper Whalen made a clutch diving save to keep the game tied. After 110 minutes played, the match ended in a draw.

"At this early stage of the season, we are just trying to develop into the team we want to be," said Zion. "The biggest positive we can take away from this match is that we saw glimpses of that team. Now we need to get back to work as we prepare for group play."

The Trojans will be back in action on Thursday (Feb. 18) as they host the Coker University Cobras in the home opener at Trojan Stadium. The match is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. with video and live stats available at www.autrojans.com.