BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University men's soccer outshot Elon 17-8, but was unable to find the back of the net, falling 1-0 to the Phoenix Saturday night at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.

With the loss, Appalachian falls to 5-7-3 overall and is still seeking its first victory in Southern Conference play, as Elon improves to 10-4-1 on the year and 4-2 in the league.

After an aggressive start to the match that saw a yellow card handed to each team, Elon struck first when senior Gabe Latigue, brother of App State forward Nate Latigue, looped a shot over the head of Mountaineer goalkeeper Danny Free to break the scoreless deadlock. The 20-yard loft was Latigue's third goal of the season as Chris Essman earned the assist.

In the second half, the Apps found many chances, firing 14 shots for the final 45 minutes, but were unable to score on Elon goalkeeper Nathan Dean. Senior Boubacar Toure got off five shots in the final period, but only troubled Dean once. Senior defender Lee Williams set a new season-high with five shots on the night with two shots on goal. 

Williams led a backline that allowed just two shots on goal for the night, as Free made a save in each half.

"I'm extremely pleased with the effort of our team and how well we played," head coach Matt Nelson said. "Sometimes you can outplay your opponent and not get the win, that is the sport of soccer. I have confidence in my players and their abilities and if we can continue to play at the level we showed tonight, we will have a successful run in the conference tournament."

The Mountaineers hit the road for the final time during the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 23, as they face Wofford. Kickoff from Spartanburg, S.C. is set for 7 p.m.