WINTER PARK, FL – The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s soccer team fell 6-5 to No. 2 Rollins on Thursday night.

The 11 combined goals is the most in a season opener in program history, while the five goals from LR is their most in an opener since taking down Davis & Elkins 5-0 in 2007.

With LR up 3-2 in the first half, Rollins scored three consecutive goals ovre the next 12 minutes to go up 5-3. The Bears knotted things up at five but a goal from Rollins’ Sebastian Alvarez won the game for the Tars in the 76th minute. Oskar Dahlberg netted a brace for the Bears, scoring in the 19th and 33rd minutes.

Angelo Paparoupas opened the scoring for the Bears with a fantastic solo goal in the 17th minute. Oskar Dahlberg took advantage of a bad back pass from Rollins two minutes later to double the Bears’ lead. Pablo Herrero scored a quick brace in the 24th and 25th minutes to tie the game up. Dahlberg scored his second of the game in the 33rd minute on a header off the pass from Maxime Wester. Rollins answered with two quick goals to take a 4-3 lead into the break. Despite the seven goals, the teams combined for just 10 shots in the first half.

Rollins Pablo Herrero scored his fourth goal of the game to put the home side ahead 5-3 in the 49th minute. Xairo Villalon and Hector Taboada answered with two solo goals over the next 12 minutes to tie things up at 5-5. Rollins got the game winner from Sebastian Alvarez in the 76th minute.

This was the first ever meeting between these two teams. Rollins finished last season as national runners-up. The 11 goals is the most combined goals in a game since Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Chowan 13-0 in 2009. Oskar Dahlberg’s brace was the first of his career.

Lenoir-Rhyne will travel to Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday to face off against No. 22 Florida Tech.

{Information provided by Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics}