HARDERVILLE, S.C. – On a hot Wednesday afternoon, the SCAD men's soccer team showed grit and determination but came up just short in a 2–1 loss to visiting Cumberland University.
The Bees opened the match on the front foot, controlling much of the early possession and keeping Cumberland pinned back in their own half. Despite their dominance in the run of play, SCAD struggled to carve out high-quality scoring chances, as untimely fouls and poor final touches disrupted their rhythm.
Cumberland struck first in the 39th minute when Miquel Gelabert curled a left-footed effort past goalkeeper Noa Sonntag, giving the Phoenix a 1–0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, SCAD was forced into a key adjustment when defender Daire Russell did not return after the break. Midfielder Kimi Husler dropped into the back line, while Moritz "Mo" Prattes entered to bolster the attack. Moments later, Cumberland doubled its lead as Gelabert netted his second of the match in the 54th minute.
Despite tired legs in the humid conditions, the Bees continued to press forward. Their persistence paid off in the 83rd minute when Prattes redirected a cross from Tim Rothe into the net, bringing SCAD within one at 2–1.
Cumberland nearly put the game away minutes later, but Philipp Schmidtke's penalty kick struck the crossbar, keeping SCAD's hopes alive. In the dying seconds, the Bees nearly found an equalizer. Mario Goic fired a shot that was saved by the keeper, and the rebound was tapped in by a SCAD attacker—only for the final whistle to sound before the ball crossed the line.
Goic led the SCAD offense with four shots, while Prattes made the most of his 35 minutes off the bench, scoring his first goal of the season. Sonntag kept the Bees in the game with three saves between the posts. SCAD finished with a slight edge in total shots (12–10) and corner kicks (4–2), underscoring their competitiveness throughout the contest.
With the result, SCAD moves to 1–4–3 on the season, while Cumberland improves to 7–1–2.
The Bees will look to bounce back in their next match as they continue their home stretch in Hardeeville.
