The No.12 Connecticut Huskies jumped out to an early lead and never looked back against the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team. The Billikens lost on the road against UConn 2-1 after the Huskies got an early 2-0 lead. The Bills fall to 4-2 on the season as they are beginning the toughest leg of their non-conference schedule.

“That is a good team and it’s hard to go on the road and give up two goals and expect to come back,” said Head Coach Mike McGinty to Saint Louis Athletics after the loss.

UConn found itself on the board first when Cyle Larin scored a goal from the top of the box. This gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

Early in the second half, UConn tallied another goal after an Ethan Decker free kick. This gave the Huskies the 2-0 lead that put the Billikens in a deep hole.

The Bills did catch break in the 71st minute when there was a foul in the UConn box and Alex Sweetin received a penalty kick. Sweetin converted the kick, which cut the UConn lead down to a 2-1 advantage. Yet, it was not enough as the Bills did not get another scoring opportunity. This was the Bills second loss in three matches.

The game also hurt the Bills on the defensive line. Senior defender Jon Roeckle had to leave the game in the first half with an injury. There is no word on the extent of his injury or if he will miss any time.

The Bills will return home to Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28 for their homecoming game against Central Arkansas. The Bills defeated Central Arkansas 3-0 during last season’s homecoming match. Robert Kristo scored two goals during last year’s matchup.

After the homecoming match, the Billikens will face their next major challenge in the formerly ranked No. 1 Creighton Bluejays. Last season, the Bills stunned the Bluejays with a 3-1 victory on the road. Midfielder Raymond Lee scored two goals in the match against the Bluejays and Kristo tacked on an insurance goal late in the match. That victory caused the Billikens to surge into becoming a ranked team. Creighton will be looking for revenge from last season’s embarrassing loss.

After the visit by Creighton, the Bills will conclude their non-conference schedule with a rare non-conference game against Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday, Oct. 6. SLU and VCU are predicted to finish first and second respectably in the Atlantic 10 pre-season coaches’ poll.

The home match on Saturday against Central Arkansas will begin at 7:30 p.m. There will be a fireworks show at halftime.