By Wes Mayberry

ALLIANCE — Three first-half goals proved to be just enough as the Ohio Northern men's soccer team opened Ohio Athletic Conference play on Saturday with a 3-2 win over Mount Union at Kehres Stadium.

The Polar Bears improve to 6-2-2 overall and 1-0 in the OAC while dropping the Purple Raiders to 5-2-3, 0-1.

Northern has not lost a game since Sept. 4, going 5-0-2 in its last seven games.

A Mount Union own goal in the fourth minute got the scoring started on Saturday, and junior Cade Winchester (Knoxville, Tenn./Alcoa) put the Polar Bears up 2-0 with a goal assisted by fifth-year senior Levi King (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) in the 19th minute.

That marked Winchester's second straight game with a goal.

Rylan Wikle got the Purple Raiders on the board in the 21st minute with a goal assisted by Carter Hancock and Jamon McCort.

Senior Aaron Shelton (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon) extended Northern's lead to 3-1 with a goal assisted by junior Ben Sundermann (Miamisburg) and sophomore Stephen Duggan (Saginaw, Mich./Freeland) in the 24th minute, and the Polar Bears took that edge into halftime.

Northern maintained its two-goal lead until the 84th minute when McCort found the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season.

UMU attempted a pair of shots over the final six-plus minutes but was unable to tie the score as ONU held on for the victory.

Senior Josh Ellis (Whitehouse/Anthony Wayne) made five saves in goal for ONU in the game.

Mount Union out-shot Northern by a 13-9 margin, while the Polar Bears held a 9-6 edge in corner kicks.

ONU returns to the field on Wednesday for a road game at OAC foe Otterbein at 7 p.m.