RENSSELAER, Ind. - The Saginaw Valley State University men’s soccer team opened up the 2009 season with a 5-4 heartbreaking loss to the Puma’s of St. Joesph’s today (Aug. 28).

Saginaw Valley would get on the board first when freshman Mackenzie Bechard (Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica HS) would put home the Cardinals first goal of the season and with a header to the right corner at the 12:06 mark. The Puma’s would respond back with quick two goals before Robert Short (Goodrich, Mich. / Goodrich HS) headed in off of a corner kick that somehow found the back of the net as it bounced thru traffic. St. Joesph’s would again come back with two more goals to take a 4-2 advantage at the 65:36 mark. Kevin Fox (Flushing, Mich. / Flushing HS) would cut into the lead with a goal and Bechard would knot the score at 4-4 with his second goal on the night. The score would remain 4-4 until 89:03 when Greg Gehrig slipped a goal in as regulation was about to expire to give the Puma’s the 5-4 win.

With the loss the Cardinals fall to 0-1 on the season and St. Joesph’s improves to 1-0 on the season. The Cardinal will return to action on Sunday (Aug. 30) when they travel to Lewis for a 2:30 PM game.