JACKSON, Tenn- Tonight, Union Men's Soccer clinched their first win of the season against Delta State University. The nail biter of a match was capped off with only 6 minutes left on the clock. This roller coaster of an evening kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Scoring opened up early, with James Starkey, the transfer from Reading, England, finding the back of the Statesmen's net in the 16^th minute. All Union had to do was possess and avoid conceding.

The first half ended at 1-0 in favor of the Bulldogs, with shots being quite balanced at DSU beating out Union only 8-7, however only one of those on frame.

The second half was quiet until the 77^th minute. Santi Rossi from DSU would find the back of the net for the equalizer. Union was running out of time to put this game away. Ashanie Kennedy made multiple attempts at goal but was unable to relieve the Bulldogs from the tie.

Finally, in the 84^th minute, the Bulldogs put the Statesmen to bed. Ashanie Kennedy and Solomon Pela assist Noel Pataki on his game winning goal. The stands erupted as Pataki ran with his teammates in celebration.

However, the job wasn't done. They still needed to finish out the last 6 minutes.

Union stayed organized defensively, controlled possessions, and shut down Delta State's final pushes to secure the 2-1 victory.

The victory was hard fought with Union leading in fouls 9-5. Bulldogs did rake in the yellow cards, going out to Lawson Harvey, Ashanie Kennedy, Landon Burns, and Jaiden Kaunda.

Between the posts, both goalkeepers were kept busy. Union's Patrick Schott collected 9 saves, his new career record, making his save percentage a 0.718, and bringing him to 4.67 on average saves per game.

The Bulldogs will return to the Smith Memorial Soccer Complex on Sunday (9/28) to face off against Mississippi College at 3:30 p.m.

To keep up with the squad, follow @UUAthleticsMS on Instagram and Twitter.

-UNION-