MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 14, 2017) â€" Senior Jesse Ramoya gave the Milligan College men's soccer team an early lead against No. 23 Truett-McConnell University and senior Jack Allan scored a penalty kick late in the game, but in the end the Buffs fell to the Bears 3-2 in an Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup on Anglin Field Saturday evening.
 
Ramoya scored his second goal of the season with the assist coming from Allan in just the sixth minute of action. Allan made a move near the top of the penalty area before leaving the pass off to Ramoya who sent it toward the left post to give Milligan a 1-0 lead.
 
Ramoya and Allan both had chances to extend the lead within the next 15 minutes.  In the 16th minute, Ramoya's speed and a TMU turnover saw Ramoya get loose behind the Bears' back line for a breakaway, but TMU goalkeeper Evan Gaffney made a sliding save to deny what would have been a 2-0 lead. Allan's close chance came with roughly 20 minutes left in the half when Josh Willard and Joel Dominguez made a nice sequence of passes to find Allan open at the top of the penalty area. Allan's shot was saved by Gaffney as well.
 
Truett-McConnell, which ranks No. 3 in the conference and No. 23 in the nation with a record of 11-1-2 (4-1-1 AAC), tied the game in the 30th minute on a goal from Joao Costa. The Bears took the lead less than three minutes later, and Costa made it 3-1 with 7:20 to go in the first half.
 
Costa's goals were his AAC-leading 22nd and 23rd of the season. The next closest player in the AAC has 12 goals.
 
In the second half, the teams played relatively even, with Truett taking 10 shots compared to Milligan's eight. One of those eight shots was a penalty kick in the 89th minute which made it 3-2, but it proved to be too late as the Bears held on to win. The PK, which was warranted by freshman Andre Levarity drawing a foul in the penalty area, followed a close chance from Junior Nyamunda who struck one from roughly 25 yards out but missed it just wide.
 
In all, Milligan was outshot 17-12 but had a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks. Senior goalkeeper Nick Smith made five saves.  
 
Next up, Milligan will be at King University on Wednesday at 3 p.m. before returning home on Saturday, Oct. 28, for the 2017 homecoming game against Pfeiffer University.