SALEM, Ore. — The St. Mary's University Men's Soccer team locked in a defensive battle with Northwest Nazarene in the GNAC-LSC Midseason Challenge, with the Nighthawks winning 2-0 on Saturday morning.
 
NNU (4-1-3) scored in the 17th and 87th minutes, with the second being an own goal by the Rattlers (4-3-0).
 
"This is a very disappointing result, especially considering we played well and created a lot of chances in the game," said StMU Head Coach Johnny Clifford. "It's very confusing that we did not find the back of the net, but all in all, it came down to our lack of quality in the final third. I'm happy with our effort and how we kept creating, but we need to be much better in the final third to win games like this."
 
The two teams combined for only 10 total shots and seven shots on goal, with the Rattlers having the 4-to-3 advantage in that statistical column. The four shots on goal were all by different players, as were the five shots.
 
"We now focus on conference play," Clifford said. "We are 0-0 on that league table, so it's important we start with that mentality!"
 
St. Mary's will host Lubbock Christian in the Lone Star Conference opener on Wed. Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. at Sigma Beta Chi field.