LEXINGTON, Va. ? VMI men's soccer defeated Appalachian State 2-0 Saturday afternoon, in a frigid, windy matchup at Patchin Field.

Playing without several of its starters, VMI (1-10, 0-3 Big South) captures its first victory of the season, while the Mountaineers fall to 7-7 overall. The victory, which came on VMI men's soccer Alumni Day, was just the second all-time for the Keydets in 38 previous meetings with Appalachian State.

With the exception of a pair of brief runs, the game was controlled in the middle third of the field for the first 25-plus minutes. The Keydets had a quality shot attempt off the foot of John Sisco, but the Texas native fired it just high, while Appalachian State attempted three shots in the early going, all from well outside the box.

In the 29^th minute, VMI's Sisco forced the Mountaineer keeper to make a save. This began a stretch of three Keydet shots on goal in a four-minute span, concluding with an Andrew Self attempt that was turned aside at 32:50.

In the 35^th minute, Jacob MacIntyre found Self with a long pass down the left sideline. The California native beat a defender and fired a shot into the far side of the goal, giving VMI a 1-0 lead. The score was Self's first collegiate goal in the freshman's 11^th game.

Neither team could mount a serious charge in the final ten-plus minutes of the opening frame, and VMI held its 1-0 lead at halftime. During the first half, Appalachian State attempted just six shots, most of them coming from outside the box. The Keydets attempted nine shots, but the Mountaineer keeper made four saves to help keep the margin at 1-0, VMI.

Early in the second half, as the wind began to pick up and the temperature began to fall, Brian Harding was involved in a battle at the top of the Appalachian State box. The sophomore was able to control the ball and loft it into the upper left-hand corner of the net, just out of the reach of the goalkeeper to give the Keydets a 2-0 advantage. The goal, scored less than three minutes into the second period, was Harding's first of the season, and third of his VMI career. The score would account for the final margin, 2-0.

After Harding's goal, the Mountaineers began firing shots at VMI keeper Brian Sowell. All told, the visitors attempted 13 second-half shots, including a trifecta in the final 20 minutes that were narrow misses. Sowell was up to the task in goal, as the sophomore made five saves in the second half to preserve his fifth career shutout.

On the day, Appalachian State outshot the Keydets 19-12, including 13-3 in the second half. However, both teams were credited with six shots on goal, thanks to VMI's strong defense on Mountaineer shot attempts. VMI keeper Sowell made six total saves, while Appalachian State netminder Collin Taylor turned aside four shots.

VMI men's soccer will return to Patchin Field Wednesday afternoon, seeking its first two-game winning streak of the season. The Keydets will battle the visiting Radford Highlanders in a Big South showdown, with game time currently scheduled for 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live via the Big South Edge, and may be viewed for a nominal fee.