The Royals earned their third win of the season Saturday night, besting the William Peace Pacers in an action- packed 2-1 contest.

Ivan Harris

This was the first home game of the season for the men’s squad, and they gave their fans plenty to cheer about as they continued their excellent start to the year.

“Things are really clicking for us early in the season,” head coach Roger Mast said after the game. “I’m happy to be where we are right now.”

The team cohesiveness was clear from the beginning of the game, as the Royals controlled possession for most of the first half. This extended all the way to the final minute of the half, when the squad scored their first goal of the game. With the clock winding down, junior Dominic Powers made a tight pass forward through traffic to senior Juan Luna on the left side of the box, who made a short cut to the right and drove the ball past the keeper into the side of the net.

Now, with momentum building, it only took nine minutes in the second half for the Royals to get their second goal of the game. After a shot by junior Dave Drafton was deflected, the ball fell to junior David Shafer at the top of the box, who ripped the ball home to double the lead.

Ivan Harris

William Peace did not go down easily, however, as Uvaldo Acosta scored in the 87th minute on a header from a long free kick. As the Pacers surged from this newfound energy, they pressed the Royals to the last seconds of the game, where they had two chances on corners, with two shots coming close to finding the back of the net. The Royals prevailed, however, and secured their third win of the season.

The Royals demonstrated their relentless offense on Saturday night, taking twenty two shots throughout the contest and putting nine on goal. Coach Mast played twenty-one different men throughout the game, mixing up the lineup and keeping the team’s opponents guessing.

“We played so well together, and the fact that a lot of players went in is great for the team,” Luna said. “The start to the season has been great, and we just need to focus on the next game and not worry about anything else.”

The Royals will be back in front of their home crowd Oct. 3 where they will play against Emory & Henry.