LEBANON, Tenn. - - Opening up their season in style the Cumberland men's soccer team topped the Blue Mountain Christian Toppers five goals to one.

Scoring the first goal of the season, Robbie Lyons picked up where he left off last season. Harold Parea got the start in his first game for the Phoenix and linked up with Lyons and Schmidtke, slapping a backheel to the senior Irishman to go ahead in the ninth minute.

The Phoenix looked a similar team to this past season, playing a possession heavy brand of soccer. Building from the defense more often than not, graduate transfer Diego Rubio and Michael Morenzoni both played well together, holding things down while several Phoenix returners deal with nagging injuries.

Late in the first half Philipp Schmitdke went down with a minor leg injury, making way for Zack Anderson who made no mistake in showing his quality. Running onto a through ball, Anderson played a flick on over to Lyons who doubled the Cumberland.

The final action of the first half made it a hat trick of goals for Cumberland to take into the break, solidifying an already impressive performance. After managing only a single goal the season before, albeit a game winner, Brima Kamara was played through on goal by first-year Phoenix Marco Madrono and made no mistake on his finish.

After a truly dominant first half it looked like the Phoenix might slow down, though Victor Ramirez had a different idea just five minutes into the second half. Like the assist to Kamara, Ramirez's goal was assisted by another first year member of the program.

Freshman Jostin Angel came in early and made an obvious partnership with fellow Colombian first-year Harold Perea. Passing together through the middle of the field, it was eventually Angel who laid a perfect pass off to Ramirez to slot into an all but open net.

In a sad twist of fate for the Phoenix though the lead would be cut back down to three when both Edvin Grevskott and George Caudwell went in hard for a ball. Goalkeeper George Irons was beginning to come out of his net and was expecting to make it to the ball, but as he begin to step backwards the duo's feet collided and the ball squeaked out into the air and found itself in the back of the net.

Scoring finally came to a close in the 77th minute whenever Brima Kamara and Zack Anderson combined to make it five goals for CU. Deputizing down the right wing it was Kamara who dribbled past the left back and slotted in a cross on the ground to Anderson who was clinical; his conversion giving the pair an assist and goal each.

In total the Phoenix's defense only gave up three shots with the lone shot on goal finding its way onto the box score, one part of a wire to wire victory to open the season for Cumberland.

Cumberland will play again this following week, facing off against the University of Northwestern Ohio Racers. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM on August 22nd in Lima, Ohio.