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CINCINNATI, Ohio - The typically stingy IUPUI men's soccer team allowed three goals in the opening 20-plus minutes at Cincinnati on Wednesday night (Sept. 26) and never fully recovered as the Jaguars fell to the Bearcats, 3-1 inside Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats threw a quick haymaker in the game's second minute to take a 1-0 lead and added a second score in the tenth minute with both coming from Rex Epps. 

IUPUI (1-6-2) offered some resistance as freshman Riley Shives dialed up his first career goal to cut the lead in half, but UC (2-7) got the game's next goal en route to the 3-1 win. 

Things started ominously for the Jags as Epps banged home an Austin Smythe rebound to beat freshman Quinn McCallion just 75 seconds into the match. Epps tallied again in the tenth minute, this time off a long feed from Pascal Igl that sprung the UC attacker loose on a counter. From there, Epps rolled a shot just inside the far post for his second score of the season. 

The Jags, who had been shutout in the previous four matches, made sure they wouldn't repeat that as Shives got a shot past UC's Cole Durant in the 13th minute. Junior midfielder Alan Aguilar intercepted a pass near midfield and fired a pass into Shives. The Jaguar attacker was able to fend off a defender before making his turn and then angled a shot inside the far stanchion for his first collegiate score. 

"It was great to get some success up top and bag my first career goal," Shives said. "The result was unfortunate but hopefully we can bounce back stronger on Saturday."

The two-sided scoring outburst continued in the 23rd minute as Epps sent a cross to Smythe, who headed home his second goal of the season to make it 3-1. 

The final 68 minutes were played on equal footing, although Cincinnati dominated in possession and shot attempts for the night. 

IUPUI redshirt freshman Fernando Borges had a quality chance against Durant in the 38th minute and Shives tested the UC keeper with a shot on frame in the 63rd minute. 

McCallion closed with two saves and allowed more than one goal for just the third time this season. Aguilar and senior Rodrigo Zampieri joined him in full 90 minute efforts as head coach Brian Barnett went deep into the bench to try and preserve legs for Saturday's Horizon League match with Oakland University. 

The Jags will host the Golden Grizzlies at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 29) as part of a home doubleheader. The women's team will take on Youngstown State at 1:00 p.m. before the men take on OU. That match will be streamed on ESPN+ as Morgan Adcock (pxp) is on the call.