St. LOUIS, Mo. - After a close-fought front 45 minutes, Leonardo Mori struck twice in less than five minutes in the early stages of the second half, giving Harris-Stowe (1-0) the separation it needed to defeat Avila (0-2) 2-0 on Saturday afternoon in St. Louis.  

With temperatures expected to hit triple digits across Kansas and Missouri this weekend, both teams agreed to move up this game's start time from late afternoon to 12:30. And while the 2023 edition of Eagles vs. Hornets certainly featured a lot of hard play with tempers rising like the temperatures, unfortunately Avila's offense stayed cold, and the Eagles left eastern Missouri without a goal over their first two games of the 2023 campaign.  

But it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Unlike in shutout losses in team history where the Eagles may have only been able to manage a couple of chances, on this day Avila forced HSSU goalkeeper Michael Brennan into six saves, most of which came on quality looks. Vincent Escott led the offensive charge with three shots, two on goal.  

Brennan as very good for the Hornets but Avila goalkeeper Jonathan Fager was similarly good for the second straight start, recording six saves of his own, including one or two top quality stops in the second half. The difference in the game came down to one five-minute stretch five minutes into the second period: Mori converted a penalty kick and then, less than five minutes later, after a Hornet counterattack Mori was there to finish again, and that was all the offense the Hornets needed despite a physical effort from both sides.  

Up next, the Eagles will return home to Kansas City for their first game at The Zarda Family Multisport Complex this season. That's coming up this Saturday, August 26, at 1:30 PM against Dordt. All home games will be streamed live on the Avila Sports Network, and admission to soccer games at The Z is always free.