BALTIMORE - Junior Brian Saramago recorded his second collegiate hat trick to lead the Loyola University Maryland men's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Mount St. Mary's Monday night at Ridley Athletic Complex.
 
With the win, the Greyhounds have secured their first 2-0 start to the year since the 2018 season.
 
Even though Loyola maintained possession throughout the first half, the Mount packed it in defensively and limited the Greyhounds to just two shots in the first 45 minutes. Saramago had Loyola's first chance to score in the 15th minute when he beat a diving Mount goalkeeper with a fast-paced low shot, but his attempt hit off the right post.
 
Saramago quickly capitalized in the second half, though, dribbling a ball across the top of the box before blasting a left-footed shot into the top left corner of the goal in the 50th minute.
 
The New Hyde Park, New York, native then converted a pair of penalty kicks to secure a 3-0 lead for the Greyhounds. Junior Josh Fawole was taken down inside the top corner of the box in the 53rd minute to draw the first penalty kick and Sam Brown drew the second when he was taken down in the box in the 65th minute.
 
Mount St. Mary's had a quick answer to Saramago's third goal, also scoring in the 65th minute, when Elias Ordonez put away the rebound of Jonathan Fawole's shot. Fawole had a close-range attempt on the end line that Loyola goalkeeper Chase Vosvick saved, but Vosvick was unable to control it and the rebound bounced to Ordonez inside the small box.
 
Vosvick finished with two saves in the game, while Mount goalkeeper Bobby Edwards recorded five.
 
Loyola outshot Mount St. Mary's, 19-5, in the game and held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The Greyhounds will return to action on Friday when they travel to Villanova for a 4 p.m. contest.