Early goal not enough in upset bid of No. 4 Davenport

Box Score

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Tristan Esprit (SR/Toronto, Ontario) scored on a free kick in the 17' but it was not enough for the Golden Eagles in their upset bid of No. 4 Davenport. The visiting Panthers scored the equalizer in the first half and followed with the game winner as CU played a man down in the second to escape with the win. The loss drops Cornerstone to 4-10-1 on the season and 2-5-1 in league play. CU will host Marygrove on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Playing against the highest ranked team they had played in quite some time, it looked as if Cornerstone might be able to pull off the upset but the visiting Panthers proved too tough on a cool and clear night in Grand Rapids. The Golden Eagles struck first in the 17' when Tristan Esprit converted a free kick as the senior bent in a kick from just outside the DU goal box and past the diving keeper for the 1-0 lead.

Davenport, which was ranked as high as No. 1 last week in the national polls, scored the equalizer with 17 minutes remaining in the first half when Chase Burgess cleaned up a loose ball on top of the box.

After coming back from halftime tied 1-1, Cornerstone then fell a man down for the remainder of the match and DU made them pay with what would ultimately be the game winner by another defender in Lawrence Murray. CU had a couple of chances late to get the equalizer but DU keeper, Aaron Orban, made a couple of key saves.

Cornerstone limited the Panthers to just four shots on goal but were outshot 14-3. Nick Hopkins (SO/Ada, Mich.) made two saves in net for the Golden Eagles who will return to the CU Soccer stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. to host Marygrove College.

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