A rough start: Men’s soccer 0-3 in season play

Photo by Sai Srikar Kadiyam

Sophomore forward Jordan Rideout scored the Roos’ first regular-season goal in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis University on the road last Saturday. The game, which was tied at halftime, dropped the Roos to 0-3.

This wasn’t as lopsided as the 3-0 loss to Missouri State Bears last Tuesday at home.

The first 15 minutes against Missouri State seemed promising for the Roos, who maintained 80 percent of the ball possession. But in the 19th minute, the Bears scored a long-range goal.

The Bears scored again in the 21st minute, and again, one minute before halftime.

The Roos attempted to rebound during the second half of the game. UMKC dominated play for the next 45 minutes, but failed to score.

Rideout, last season’s leading scorer, said he remains confident about the Roos’ prospects.

“It is a work in progress,” he said. “I know eventually we will start playing the way coach wants us to play and we will get better results.”

Rideout is frustrated, despite scoring on a header against St. Louis in the 23rd minute Michael Oakley crossed the ball to him.

“Of course you always want to score goals,” he said. “That’s how you win, but we are working on other things first, and with those things the goals will come.”

Defender Guerrero Pino blocked several Bear advances. However, he acknowledged the team needs to keep improving.

“It wasn’t a good game for us,” Pino said. “After the goals, we lost our self-confidence. [We need to] change our mentality, go out to the field with a victory on our minds.”

Coach Rick Benben termed the loss to MSU “disappointing.” He expressed confidence about the team’s ability to start functioning together.

“We’ve given lots of goals in a short period of time,” he said, “but we will keep up the work and progress every day.”

The Roos next face Baker on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Durwood Stadium, then visit Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Sunday at 1 p.m.

dmoreno@unews.com