Searcy, Ark. – Union men's soccer opened the season Thursday with a 3-1 win at Harding behind a dominating performance on both ends of the field.

Union (1-0-0) led in shots (16-4), shots on goal (7-1), and corners (5-1). The Bisons (0-1-0) weren't credited with a shot until late in the first half.

The first goal of the 2024 campaign fell to Cillian Heaney after a 20th-minute steal in the defensive end left him with a superb chance, which he deposited into the low-right nylon. Christian Harjanne tallied Union's lone assist on Heaney's strike.

Union took a 1-0 lead into the break, having utterly frustrated Harding's attack for 45 minutes.

Kenny Nitzsche doubled the Union advantage at 51:35 when his penalty attempt to the right side of the net sent the keeper left. He was soon booked for dissent, one of a torrent of yellow cards in the game. Harding finished with six, while Union – also Wesley Mhlanga, Daniel Dixon, and Marc Badibanga – had four names transcribed by the referee.

Just three minutes after re-entering the game as a substitute, sophomore Ashanie Kennedy dazzled with a solo goal-scoring run up the middle of the box. He beat several men individually and flicked the ball off the inside of the right post to extend the Union edge to three at 64'.

Harding spoiled Union's clean sheet in the 81st minute on its only accurate attempt of the match.

Patrick Schott, a transfer from Belmont, spent 90 minutes in goal for the Bulldogs. 

Union is now 4-0-1 against Harding in the teams' last five encounters. The Bulldogs are also unbeaten (6-0-1) in season-openers since 2018.

Twelve players made their Bulldog debuts in the contest: Heaney, Badibanga, Dixon, Diego Medina, Mhlanga, Noel Pataki, Schott, Finn Jacobs, Solomon Pela, Luca Pereira, Jackson Talley and Hayden Techasiriwan.

The team will stay in Arkansas for a Saturday match against Ouachita Baptist at 4:00 p.m.

-UNION-