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EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's soccer team dropped its home opener 3-1 to Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex, as part of the Rio Grande Valley Invitational.
 
UTRGV (1-2-0) didn't waste much time getting on the board as sophomore Bryce Box took a rebound off of a save by Purdue Fort Wayne goalie Tor Erik (2-1) and put it in the goal for his first goal of the season just 2:36 into the match.
 
Minutes later, Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1-0) answered back with a goal of their own. Alex Frank took the pass from Romain Lopez and streaked up the left side of the field scoring the tying goal at the 6:50 mark.
 
UTRGV outshot Purdue Fort Wayne 10-3 in the first half as the match remained tied heading into halftime.
 
In the second half, Purdue Fort Wayne put the pressure on the UTRGV defense with seven shots on goal compared to UTRGV's three. Lopez scored his first goal of the season after taking the rebound off of a save from UTRGV's Andy Rios (1-2) giving Purdue Fort Wayne the 2-1 lead at the 70:27 mark.

Chris Baranowski put a cap on the scoring with his second goal of the season at the 81:51 mark with the help the help from Matthew Lieshout. 
 
In total, UTRGV outshot Purdue Fort Wayne 21-12 with seven of them on goal. Rios faced eight shots on goal and made four saves on the night. 
 
UTRGV returns to action on Sunday when it faces Northern Illinois at 1 p.m. at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex. 
 
September is Orange Out for Hunger Action Month and on Sunday fans can receive free admission with the donation of five nonperishable food items. All donations benefit the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. with the first match of the day between Houston Baptist and Purdue Fort Wayne at 10:30 a.m.

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