Laguna Blanca boys soccer opened their season with a back-and-forth 6-3 loss to Rio Mesa on Thursday.
The Owls jumped out to an early lead when Inak Philips found Baylor Wilson for the first goal of the game and of the year for the team.
They stayed hot with another goal in the 20th minute as Philips once again made the assist, this one to Josh Hansen to go up 2-0.
The Spartans responded with a score in the 25th minute to cut the lead in half at 2-1, which held into halftime.
Rio Mesa came out of the half on fire, scoring in the 49th, 51st and 54th minutes to capture a quick 4-2 advantage.
In the 61st minute, Laguna Blanca was awarded a penalty kick after the penalty was committed on Baylor Wilson. Gabriel Lea stepped up to take the shot and buried it into the net, bringing the Spartan lead to 4-3.
However, Rio Mesa put an end to any comeback hopes with back-to-back goals in the 67th and 72nd minutes and strong defense, clinching the 6-3 victory.