ELKINS – The Davis & Elkins College Men's Soccer team started off the 2018 season and the Matt Ellinger era with a decisive 3-1 victory over Salem University Thursday night at Nuttall Field.
 
Due to a lightning delay prior to kickoff, It took a while for the game to get going. However, it didn't take the Senators long to get on the scoreboard, as Friedrich Peter headed home a corner kick from Niklas Rasch-Hegelund in the ninth minute.
 
The Senators controlled key parts of the first half, limiting quality chances from Salem and then capitalized on another quality chance taken by Pedro Bassin Nunes, who smashed home a ball from Rasch-Hegelund for his first goal with the Senators in his debut 25 minutes in.
 
Davis & Elkins had another debut goal 12 minutes later. Guy Mobeka came on a substitute and with his very first touch, flicked on a ball across the box to Cesar Matteo Ghezzi, who headed home to put the Senators up 3-0
 
However, 40 seconds later, Ghezzi was sent off with his second yellow card and the Senators were forced to play with 10 men for the remaining 52 minutes.
 
The Senators held Salem off the scoresheet for the remainder of the first half, taking a 3-0 lead into the break.
 
Salem would eventually capitalize with the man advantage, scoring 13 minutes into the second half with a goal from Mark Ferenczi-Bako.
 
That would be as close as Salem would get, as Everton Carvalho stopped three shots in the game, including one more in the second half.
 
Salem too would be reduced to 10 men in the 83^rd minute for Nicholas Itopoulos's second yellow card offense.
 
The Senators will return to action on Tuesday with a trip to Canton, Ohio to open up Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. The Senators will face Malone University with a 7 p.m. kickoff scheduled for the first road test of the season for Davis & Elkins.