Season Starts Strong For Stags In 3-1 Road Win At Westmont

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- It took less than five minutes for the team to get on the board in its season-opener as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's soccer team defeated Westmont 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Thorrington Field. It is the second season in a row that CMS has won its opening game of the year.

Freshman M Mehron Abdi didn't wait long to score his first-career goal as he found the back of the net 4:50 into the match on a header off an assist from junior D Daniel Beer. CMS (1-0) maintained a 1-0 lead until the second half and then pushed its lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute on a goal by junior M Jake Bishop from the left wing.

Westmont (0-1) got its lone goal of the game off CMS junior GK Daniel Roberts in the 63rd minute as Emmanuel Akyen narrowed the score to 2-1. Roberts had two saves for CMS as Westmont managed just seven shots. Akyen had four of Westmont's seven shots on the afternoon including three on goal.

In the 81st minute, freshman M Michael Crowley gave the Stags some breathing room with the team's third goal of the game and his first-career goal.

Next up for CMS is the Mayor's Cup Tourament in New York Sept. 6-7 where the team will face Franklin & Marshall along with defending NCAA Division III National Champion Messiah.

Box score: http://blogs.westmont.edu/athletics/mens-soccer-box-score2/?season=2013&fname=m0831wc