ALISO VIEJO, CA- Soka could not come back from two second-half goals scored by the Hope University International Royals on Monday afternoon at the Lions' Den Soccer Stadium.

The two sides remained scoreless until the 65th minute when the Royals' Baidy Ba netted his chance low and to the right corner of the goal past an outstretched Riley Grosso for the 1-0 lead. Eighteen minutes later, Hope's John Mejia drove his cross mid goal towards a crashing Sean Palena, who finished his shot first time, giving the Royals the 2-0 win over the Lions.

Soka's Alex Tavarez lead the Lions with two shots, while Noah Alexander, Chase Buchert, Jesus Cabrera, and Harrison Gilmer took one shot on the day, respectively.

"After our second pre-conference match, we are seeing progress," said Head Coach Shawn Beyer. "The defensive performance was very good, although we do still have some specific moments we can improve upon. The effort from the group today was top-notch. I am excited about what we have done in just two matches. Now we will look forward to dialing in our offensive cohesion. Our positioning and timing of movements in the buildup play can improve. We should be excited about the direction we are headed. As key players return to fitness, it will only help our progress."

The Lions return to action this Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, when they host Westcliff University. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
 
Game Notes: The Royals outshot the Lions 13-6. A yellow card was given to Soka's Chase Buchert.