Garden City, N.Y — The Adelphi men's soccer team welcomed Mercy University to Motamed Field on Tuesday night for the Panthers' first home game of the season. 

The festivities kicked off an hour earlier with Pantherfest, where the first 100 students in attendance received free smoothies from Adelphi athletics sponsor Baya Bar. 

Mercy applied the pressure early on, with five shots before the 'Cats could even muster one. Gonzalo Gil threaded through the Mustangs' back line in the 36th minute but could not corral the ball enough to get a shot off. 

In the 43rd minute, Mercy would capitalize off of a throw in with a strike from outside the box to take a 1-0 lead into the half. 

Adelphi would apply the pressure almost immediately with a shot from Pablo Herrera two minutes into the second frame. The Panthers were flying to their opponents side of the field with Victor Castel, Sam Nolan and Alessio Consoli all carrying the ball into the box. 

Unfortunately for the 'Cats, Mercy would grab its second goal of the match off of an opportunistic rebound in front of the goal. 

The Panthers would keep applying the pressure and had their best chance at getting within a score with a Gil free kick that would sail just wide. 

Matthew Murphy and Rory Duggan both had great chances to keep the momentum swung in Adelphi's favor but could not capitalize as the Panthers fell 2-0. 

Santiago Arango made a season-high five saves in the game. 

The Panthers had 11 shots compared to Mercy's 12, but ten of them came in the second half. Adelphi also led the corner kick margin, five to two and committed 11 less fouls than its opponent. 

Head coach Gary Book and the Panthers will return to Motamed Field on Saturday at 5 p.m. to host East Stroudsburg.