What began as a lackluster effort nearly turned into a spirited comeback, but Cougar men's soccer came up short on Tuesday, falling 2-1 to The Master's College.

CSUSM is now 1-2 on the season.

The Cougars looked flat from the get-go, allowing Master's to control the pace of the game early. After a few close calls, Master's connected with the game's first goal in the 29th minute, as Jacob Marchesani hit a well-placed corner to the far post, where Guillerme Mitrovitch headed it in.

Things would get worse after halftime, with Master's extending the lead to 2-0. In the 65th minute, David Alegria chased down a long ball deep in the Cougar zone, and played it across to Marchesani, who tapped it in.

But with 10 minutes to go and CSUSM looking beaten, the Cougars suddenly found new life, thanks to Greg Reese. The senior co-captain controlled a ball in the middle of the field, about 25 yards out, and ripped a perfectly-struck shot that beat the keeper clean.

That cut the deficit to 2-1, as CSUSM continued to apply the pressure for the final 10 minutes. Their best chance came late, as keeper Tashi Nakanishi was called to join the attack on a set piece. After a scramble, the ball found Nakanishi, who drilled a shot just over the crossbar. Master's would hold on pick up the win.

Things won't get any easier for the Cougars, who have a tough match at UCSD on Friday.