WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Trine University men's soccer team lost their First Round match of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday afternoon to the regional host Otterbein University 5-1.

The Thunder made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title last weekend to clinch an automatic qualifier. Trine men's soccer will end their season 10-8-1 overall.

Senior Brian Morris [Metamora, Mich. / Lapeer] had this to say postgame about playing on the national stage, "I wanted to make it the first year, but it took me four years to get here, and I'm happy we finally got the chance to play. We put in the work and the effort."

"We treat this professionally, first and foremost," Head Coach David Jacobs said of the team's standard. "That's an expectation, and I think the boys have bought into that. They're all about it. I expect this every year moving forward."

After taking the first two shots of the match, the third for Otterbein found the back of the net in the 11th minute to make it 1-0 Cardinals. Tyler Murphy [Greenfield, Ind. / Greenfield Central] countered with the Thunder's lone shot of the first half in the 13th minute of action.

Right away in the second half, the ninth-ranked team in the country was able to pile on with goals in both the 53rd and 56th minutes to make it 3-0.

A penalty kick goal later on added to the Cardinal lead, but Morris scored in the 79th minute to avoid the shutout. Morris accepted a deflected pass in the box and stuck it in the upper corner of the net.

Otterbein brought the total to five in the 87th minute as the Cardinals advanced to the Second Round with the 5-1 victory.

The Thunder were outshot in the match 17-6, with goalkeeper Troy Saylor [Caledonia, Mich. / Caledonia] making three saves.

Murphy held the team lead in goals with 17 on the season, the second-most goals and points (37) in a single season during the NCAA era.