INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Augustana Vikings men's soccer team battled Simpson on Friday evening, falling 4-0 to the Storm in their season debut.

The Vikings showed early aggression to begin the road bout, with Derek Dedume firing two shots at the net in the first seven minutes, one wide right while the other was saved. Just seconds after a two-player substitution by the Vikings, the Storm sent in the game's opening score to take a 1-0 advantage at the 23:15 mark. Simpson continued to keep the ball on Augie's side of the field, firing five attempts at keeper Ignacio Alberola before a successful strike found the back of the net at the 40-minute mark, putting the home team up 2-0 at the break. 

Just over a minute into the second period, Dedume blasted another shot in the direction of the Storm, but it sailed just right. Jarrett Baumgartner and Daniele Meloni also hurled shots toward the Storm within minutes of the half, but neither would connect. Simpson began to apply pressure once again, mashing a trio of missed shots at the Augie net before adding a third goal at 75:18. Another successful attempt by the Storm just before the 82-minute mark put the contest at its 4-0 final.

Dedume led the Vikings in shot attempts with three, including one on goal. In goal, Alberola faced nine shots in his 90 minutes of action, tallying five total saves.

The Vikings return to action at home on Sunday when they host Carleton for another non-conference matchup. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. with a stream link here.