ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Augustana men's soccer team opened their 2022 schedule this evening with a non-conference loss to the Storm of Simpson College. The Storm grabbed an early 1-0 lead and maintained their advantage to earn the road victory.
 
The game's lone goal came in the 15^th-minute of action when Cedar Rapids, Iowa-native Mataeus Lewis corralled a loose ball in the box and delivered a strike to the back of the net.
 
Neither team could muster much momentum in either direction for the remainder of the contest. The Vikings picked up their pace in the final moments of the contest but failed to draw even and suffered the narrow loss.
 
Justin Kornas led the Viking offense with three shots, two of which were on target. Ben Statz added two more attempts while Jimmie Kucaba offered one. A trio of Simpson players attempted two shots as the Storm outshot Augie 11-6 overall.
 
Viking keeper Benjamin Samuelson played all 90 minutes in net and recorded three saves.
 
The Vikings will return to the pitch this Sunday, Sep. 4 when they host Coe College in another non-conference battle at Thorson-Lucken Field.