DAYTON (OH) — Two early goals by the Cincinnati Bearcats set the tone for the entire match as the Dayton Flyers never caught up or kept pace in a 5-2 loss at Baujan Field. The season opener for both teams, UD’s two year unbeaten streak at home comes to an end, along with any overconfidence from the preseason polls.

When teams surrender five goals, the odds of winning are practically non-existent. Dayton had not allowed five goals since a 5-2 loss at UMass on October 6, 2002.

Cincinnati did everything right in the first 10 minutes, much of the success from strong midfield play and a commitment to winning loose balls. The Flyers looked a step slow everywhere and did a lot of chasing as a result. Unable to win possession and build an organized attack, the Bearcats feasted on UD’s timidness for early pressure in the Flyer goal mouth. It didn’t take long for UC to see their hard work rewarded either. Kit North redirected a UD corner kick over the hands of goalkeeper Tyler Picard for the first goal of the match in the 8th minute. The header tipped off Picard’s hands and deflected off the lower portion of the crossbar for the 1-0 Bearcat lead. Unfortunate, but the goal was by no means a death sentence for the Flyers.

Cincinnati raised the stakes however just three minutes later when Nick Weightman got behind the UD back line for a breakaway toward the net. With Dayton defenders chasing, Weightman beat Picard to the lower far post to make it 2-0. Time for concern.

Over the next 15 minutes, Dayton couldn’t find their rhythm offensively or defensively. Poor first touches and suspect communication allowed UC to take advantage and get aggressive. While the Bearcats were getting whistled for fouls, the physical play appeared to frustrate UD and remain a distinct Cincinnati advantage on posture alone. Only in the last 20 minutes of the first half did Dayton looked interested in getting involved.

Once they did however, the match got interesting. Dayton took advantage of a couple key substitutions to unleash some needed energy on the pitch. Attacking players Isaac Kissi and Jeff Popella came off the bench to make a difference and did so immediately. Suddenly the Flyers had life and were digging out loose balls in the middle third of the field. The Bearcats were finally on the retreat. Balls in the box and well-placed corner kicks peppered the Bearcat goal with great scoring chances. While none of them torched the back of the net, the pressure was there and gave fans hope.

That hope sprang eternal in the final minute of the half when Popella redirected a Flyer free kick past UC goalkeeper Matt Williams to cut the deficit to 2-1. Momentum quickly changed to the home team and UD had the entire second half to produce an equalizer.

Dayton led in first half shots on goal 7-5 but trailed in corner kicks 6-2.

The second half was competitive from the start. Neither side dominated, but room in the midfield allowed both teams to get forward and look for target players ready to place a ball on goal. Cincinnati was opportunistic once again however and turned a long throw-in into a goal-scoring header in the 59th minute. Trailing by two goals again, the Flyers were insistent upon doing things the hard way.

Dayton countered with a goal of their own just 22 seconds later to make it 3-2. Jeff Popella’s terrific work at the top of the box split three defenders as he barreled in on goal. His shot deflected off the far post but was cleaned up by Tommy Watkins at the six yard line. Once again, the match was up for grabs.

The Flyers couldn’t make it happen however. The Bearcats scored off a deflection from 18yds out in the 64th minute to go up 4-2 and added another goal on a breakaway counter-attack in the 86th minute to end the scoring at 5-2. Parsed around those two goals, UD had their chances. A great save by Williams turned away a UD bicycle kick, while moonballs and lofty throw-ins toward the box were easy pickings as he stretched out from his goal mouth. A shot off the near post made for a bit of Bearcat luck as well.

Final stats were fairly even. Shots on goal favored UD 17-16 while UC had an 8-6 edge in corner kicks. Cincinnati also doubled up on fouls 20-10. Dayton lacked an extra gear until the match was already settled.

Kissi and Popella were bright spots for Dayton. They picked the team up with a blue-collar effort off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to convince the defense to keep a tight mark. Too often, UC mids and forwards ran loose and went largely unchallenged as they looked for teammates to link up with. Counter attacks were a point of concern in our preseason preview and two goals came off such breakdowns Friday night — though in fairness the last goal happened when UD pushed most players forward to find a goal of their own in the waning minutes. Still, the jailbreak syndrome is one UD is susceptible to given their attacking style and, at times, can be a dangerous thing.

With humble pie served, UD heads out on a three-game road trip to Oakland (MI), Denver, and Air Force that will test their maturity and ability to handle altitude. This is no time to start panicking, but the Flyers need at least two wins and preferably three to erase the sting from opening night. Pegged as a preseason Top-30 team in most polls, those expectations are not over-reaching if the pundits know their subject matter.