ANN ARBOR, Mich. –Taylor opened the season on the road and delivered a commanding victory fueled by goals from Justin Devlin, Matt Yoder, and Jeremy Rivera in Drew Glover's first match as the interim head coach.
The match began evenly as both teams looked to take control and fired multiple shots wide of goal. TU eventually gained control and had a trio of shots saved at the half-hour mark to keep it tied at zero.
The Trojans took advantage of their bright play, earning a penalty in the 35th minute when the Cardinals had to foul on a cross into the box. Devlin stepped up to take the kick and approached slowly, waiting for the keeper to move, and when he did, Devlin fired the ball into the net for the opening goal.
Taylor (1-0) doubled its advantage right before halftime as Elias Munoz delivered a terrific cross, which Yoder fired home seconds before the end of the half.
The momentum carried to the start of the second half and forced a trio of saves from the Cardinals keeper, who totaled 13 in the match.
Concordia (0-1) found a lifeline in the 75th minute when they converted a penalty of their own to halve the lead and give hope of a comeback for the home side.
The Trojans controlled action for the final 15 minutes and put the game out of reach in the 87th minute. Rivera sent in a corner kick, and after a save and the ball bouncing around, Rivera came in and fired past the keeper to finalize the score at 3-1, with his first goal as a Trojan.
Freshman Connor Shaw started the match between the sticks and earned his first victory, not allowing a goal from open play while making a single save.
TU fired 24 shots, with 16 on goal, and had eight corner kicks, all of which outpaced Concordia as the home squad had 13 shots, with two on goal and three corners attempted.
Taylor will be back in action on Wednesday, August 21, against Defiance (0-0) in its home opener. Kick-off is set for 7:00 pm at Turner Stadium, and admission is free.
