HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – With temperatures near freezing the West Alabama Tigers used a first half goal to shutout the Lee men's soccer team, 1-0 in the 2021 season opener on Saturday evening. The game was played at a neutral site in Huntsville, Ala. and will not count as a Gulf South Conference match with the two clubs being in opposite groups for the Spring Championship Series.
The match featured just eight total shots, three by the Flames and five by the Tigers. Maxime Correia connected for the lone score off a pass from Richard Lopez in the 24
th minute.
"West Alabama deserved to win tonight. Ross (Nelson, West Alabama Head Coach) has done a good job with the group and they were ready to play from the start of the game," said Lee head coach Derek Pottieger. "We were not ready to play, we were not ready to compete and it cost us."
Jules Dechert kept the clean sheet in goal for the Tigers to earn the victory. Sam Keener registered two saves and allowed the one score for the Flames.
Junior Eemeli Makela attempted two shots while sophomore Collin Lewis had the other shot for the Flames. Coach Potteiger had five newcomers in the starting lineup from the team that won the 2019 GSC Championship.
"We have a lot of new faces since the 2019 season and are trying to figure some important things out. We trained all fall together and for a few weeks this semester but these are our first few games and you really don't know your team until they line up and compete against someone else," said Pottieger. "We will learn quickly and we will get better before our next game and then we will see where we are. I like this group but now we have one agenda and that is to improve from tonight."
The Flames are scheduled to play Carson-Newman on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference match at the Lee Soccer Field. Wet conditions and cold temperatures are predicted throughout the week in Southeast Tennessee so fans are advised to follow @LeeUFlames on social media and check leeuflames.com for all the latest scheduling updates.
Coach Potteiger's club officially enters GSC play on Sunday, Feb. 21 as it hosts Auburn Montgomery at 4 p.m.
