Bulldogs surrender five second-half goals in 6-0 loss to Air Force Friday night

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's soccer team had more corners and just one fewer shot going into halftime down just 1-0, but it conceded five goals in the second frame and fell to the Air Force Academy, 6-0, on Friday in Colorado.

The Bulldogs (0-4) nearly matched the Falcons (2-2) in the first half, firing off two and three shots and three and one corner, respectively.

Junior mid Alexander Wrona (Burlington, Conn.) got the Black and Gold started with the first corner of the game in the fifth minute, and senior Curtis Orth (Ancaster, Ont.) took the second set piece in the seventh minute. Orth then sent a strike from inside the box on the receiving end of a low-swinging cross from Pedro-Lucas Ferreira (East Boston, Mass.), but the shot was saved by Jake Schenk.

Over the first 20 minutes, the Bulldogs had worked three corners and had a shot on goal. But of the 17 fouls committed by the visitors and the two yellow cards from both sides, sophomore Nathanial Brown (Queens, N.Y.) committed a foul in the box in the 20th minute to give Air Force its first chance of the game.

Senior defender Cameron Duley stepped up to take the penalty kick and he did his job by beating junior netminder Nick Stewart (South Windsor, Conn.), giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. It was the only first-half shot on goal for the Falcons and the final one of the frame, as Bryant was within striking distance heading into halftime.

The second half needed no more than 10 minutes of action before the Falcons started soaring up the field and pitching tents in Bryant's box. Austin Dewey flew up the close wing and chipped a cross to Tucker Bone from, who headed it into the right corner from just five yards out to make it 2-0.

Following a foul on Bryant, Air Force wasted little time moving forward and passed the ball beautifully in the box. Ryan Ward made a quick side pass to a running Tucker Axhoj who struck in the third goal from less than 10 yards out.

The Falcons earned one of their four second-stanza corners just six minutes later and made the most it. Axhoj was the man taking the corner and he did so perfectly, catapulting the ball over the Bryant defense and to the foot of John Sims who kicked in the fourth goal, also from under 10 yards out.

After allowing three goals in eight minutes, Bryant settled down defensively but could not generate their own offense. Air Force added to the lead in the 79th minute, once again from inside the box, as Austin Guerrero set up Munear Aboussaud for shot that deflected off of an unbalanced Stewart and into the net. The Falcons tacked on the sixth and final score with six minutes to play on another corner before handing Bryant the second-worst loss in its Division I history.

Three Bulldogs attempted shots, with only one being on target. Stewart made three saves in the win, as senior keeper Kevin Zemaitis (Braintree, Mass.) saw his first action of the season in the final 10 minutes.

Eight Falcons contributed to the 13 shots and nine on goal. Air Force had six different goal scorers and five different assisters as well. Schenk made just one save in the win.

The Bulldogs will need to forget about this performance quickly with a matchup against No. 11 and 4-0-1 Denver looming on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. EST.