Despite outshooting its opponent 11-4 in its season-opening game on Friday night, the 22nd-ranked Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team could not find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to Otterbein University at DiSanto Field in Cleveland.

An 18th-minute goal by Otterbein's Nick Isaac proved to be the only score of the game for either team and allowed the Cardinals to improve to 1-0-0 on the season. CWRU fell to 0-1-0 with the loss.

After both teams managed just two shots apiece in the first half, the Spartans began an attempt to get back in the game in the second half, launching nine shots on goal compared to just two for Otterbein. However, the Spartans' comeback attempt was waylaid by a red card issued in the 54th minute, forcing the team to play down a man for the remainder of the game.

Sophomore Cameron Thayer led all Spartans with four shots in the game. CWRU finished with two shots on goal, while the Cardinals launched three on frame during the contest.

Junior goalkeeper Bradley Winter played all 90 minutes in goal, making a pair of saves in the loss.

The Spartans will look to bounce back on Sunday when the team travels to Wooster, Ohio for a 3:00 p.m. contest against the College of Wooster.

Spartan Notes

• Winter has now allowed a goal or less in 10 of his last 11 starts dating back to last season. He has now played the entirety of the team's last 15 games in goal, a stretch of 1,370 minutes dating back to September 9, 2023.

• Graduate student Quinn Flaspohler, first-year Amir Awais, and graduate student Eshwar Challa each made their first appearances for CWRU on Friday. Junior Phillip Washington, sophomore Ian Manns, sophomore Adam Pluszczyk, Thayer, and junior Stephen Vilardo each made the first starts of their Spartan careers on Friday.

• CWRU fell to 3-3-0 against Otterbein since the start of the 2003 campaign. The setback was the Spartans' first against Otterbein since 2021 and the first-ever home loss to the Cardinals in three matches.

• The loss was the first in a season-opening game for the Spartans since falling 2-1 to Hiram to start the 2009 campaign.