Coastal Carolina men’s soccer came out with a fierce start in their home opener against the Wofford Terriers but fell short in a 5-2 loss on Sunday.
Freshman forward Angel Lopez landed a shot on goal just minutes into the game, putting the Chants ahead 1-0.
For the opening stretch, it looked like the Chant’s momentum might continue, but the Terriers only needed a few chances to take the lead.
Despite having less ball possession, Wofford scored three goals before halftime for a score of 3-1.
Coastal responded in the second half with more urgency.
Sophomore defender Theo Butterworth nearly scored again in the 55th minute with a clean strike, but Wofford goalkeeper Pepe Hinterschuster blocked the shot.
Senior midfielder Christian Cook capitalized throughout the game by creating chances on the wing, cutting through defenders and forcing multiple saves. At one point he tripped in the box but still managed to push a shot on frame before the ball was cleared out.
Senior midfielder Loed Klaasen also stayed active, missing a few attempts before finally breaking through. Down 4–1, Klaasen capitalized on an opening and drilled one past Hinterschuster to make it 4–2, giving Coastal a glimmer of hope.
Coastal’s comeback push didn’t last for long. Wofford forward Nathan Simes added two more goals to the board in the second half, including the final strike that locked in the 5–2 score.
Despite their efforts, Coastal Carolina could not secure the win.
“I think the main thing is just capitalizing on opportunities when they present themselves. We had a lot of opportunities to get back in the game, but we didn’t capitalize on it,” Cook said.
The Chanticleers look to improve their teamwork and maintain strong starts when they host Presbyterian College on Friday at 7 p.m.
