SAN ANTONIO — Despite being evenly matched in the statistics, the St. Mary's University Men's Soccer team dropped its season opener to Colorado State Pueblo, 1-0, on Thursday night at Sigma Beta Chi Field.
 
A lengthy weather delay pushed the start of the season opener back over three hours from the originally scheduled 6 p.m., as the two teams started at 9:10. Each team took seven shots in the game, though the Rattlers (0-1) doubled up the Thunderwolves (1-0) in corner kicks, 6-to-3.
 
CSUP's center back Jamal Bynum scored on a corner kick from Jose Peris Gimeno in the 75th minute for the lone goal of the contest, heading the ball in over the top of freshman goalkeeper Nichita Misac (Lisbon, Portugal).
 
Misac did make two other saves in his first collegiate start, while Esteban Gonzalez stopped the Rattlers' only shot on goal by Filipe Bastos (Santa Maria de Faria, Portugal).
 
Bastos, Dyllan Mendoza (San Antonio), Pape Gueye (San Antonio) and AJ Valdivia (Perris, Calif.) played the entire 90 minutes alongside Misac.
 
The Rattlers host No. 18 UCCS on Saturday at 6 p.m. The Mountain Lions won 8-0 over Sul Ross State in their season opener on Thursday afternoon.