COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Railsplitters outshot Montevallo 12-0 in the second half and 20-6 in the match, but couldn't overcome an early two-goal deficit, as the Falcons held on to capture a 2-1 win in the 2016 season opener on Thursday evening in Columbus, Ga.
 
Lincoln Memorial (0-1) dominated the flow of possession, especially in the second half, holding the Falcons without a shot attempt while firing off 12 shots over the final 45 minutes of action. However, it wasn't enough, as the Railsplitters were only able to convert one of their six shots on goal, while Montevallo scored twice on just three on-target shot attempts in the first half and never relinquished the lead.  
 
It marks LMU's first season-opening loss since 2013 and only the second season-opening loss for the program since the start of the 2004 campaign. In 2013, the Railsplitters rebounded from that loss and went on to finish with a 9-8-2 overall record.
 
Montevallo took command of the board early, as a ninth-minute corner kick by Luke Garner put the ball in the box for Sergio Gonzalez, who tapped the ball over to Liam Moore. Moore did the rest from there, chipping the ball into the left-hand corner of the net to give the Falcons a 1-0 edge.
 
A miscue by the LMU defense helped the Falcons double their lead in the 40th minute, as a foul in the box set up a penalty kick for Oliver Cylkowski, who converted that attempt to send Montevallo into the break with a 2-0 lead.
 
The Railsplitters put relentless pressure on the Falcons' defense in the second half, but wouldn't break through until senior forward George Burne (Carlisle, England) finished off a cross from Victor Peres (Brasilia, Brazil) in the 85th minute.
 
Lincoln Memorial would launch two more shot attempts following Burne's goal, but couldn't get the equalizer, as the Falcons held on for the narrow victory.
 
Junior forward Danilo da Silva (Campinas, Brazil) outshot the Falcons by himself, recording seven shots and three shots on goal compared to six shots and three shots on goal for Montevallo. Peres had four shots and a shot on goal, while Felipe de Sousa (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil) and Burne had three shots apiece.
 
Freshman August Ahlin (Stockholm, Sweden) made the start in net for the Railsplitters, making one save while allowing a pair of goals in 90 minutes of action. His counterpart, Robert Kuta, made five saves over that same span.
 
The loss snaps LMU's three-game winning streak against Montevallo and is the Railsplitters' first in the series since 2005. The Falcons improve to 13-7-2 all-time against Lincoln Memorial with the win.
 
The Railsplitters look to rebound on Saturday at 11 a.m. when they take on the UNC Pembroke Braves in Columbus, Ga. Live stats are available at www.LMURailsplitters.com.