WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Palm Beach Atlantic men's soccer team returned home to continue Sunshine State Conference play against Barry University tonight. After taking down No. 9 Saint Leo in their conference opener, the Sailfish suffered their first defeat in a high-scoring match 4-3. The No. 2 ranked Sailfish fall to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in SSC play. 

The Sailfish have tended to start slow in a number of games this season and that continued tonight as the Bucs had the first three shots of the game and got on the board on their fourth to go up 1-0 in the ninth minute. PBA was able to stabilize the game and the response came in the 18th minute when a ball bounced out to Yannick Toth at the edge of the box. He drove a shot that went through traffic, hit the left post and went in to beat the shielded keeper. 

The game didn't stay tied long as another quick Barry break resulted in a headed goal off a cross in the 23rd minute to put the Bucs up 2-1. Niall Owens made a run down the left touchline, besting two Barry defenders, and was able to play a cross into striker Harrison Ardron who beat the last defender to the pass and scored his third goal of the season to tie the game 2-2. Fred Ferreira had a great look in the closing moments of the first half but his shot was at the last defender who cleared it off the line. It was a close opening 45 minutes of play as PBA controlled 60 percent of the possession but was outshot 8-7 as the two sides remained deadlocked. 

It took just two minutes for the 'Fish to storm out of the locker room and take the lead. An Andres Flores shot went into the path of a cutting Toth and he was able to redirect the ball into the top-right corner for his second goal of the game. For the next 15 minutes, PBA pushed to extend their lead and put the game away but without much success. 

The final 30 minutes of play were controlled primarily by the visitors as they came forward in waves and were faster to second balls to keep possession away from the Sailfish. PBA held on to what they could but Barry equalized in the 69th minute and then continued going forward and got the winner in the 87th minute to win 4-3. The Bucs had five shots on target in the second half but outshot the Sailfish 16-4 overall in the second 45 minutes of play. 

The Sailfish will look to bounce back from their opening defeat of the season as they host a talented Tampa side at the Rinker Athletic Campus on Saturday. The Spartans are 3-2 overall but 1-0 in SSC play with a 5-1 win over Embry-Riddle tonight.