Early on, both teams had to deal with poor traction, as the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna moved through the area. The Keydets struck first in the light drizzle, as freshman Patrick Karnwie beat East Tennessee State keeper James Holt to give VMI an early 1-0 lead at the 2:00 mark. The goal was the Keydets' first of the season, and came off a pass right-to-left from Brian Harding.

From there, the teams played a back-and-forth half, with the weather clearing as the game progressed. The Buccaneers outshot the Keydets 11-4 in the opening 45 minutes, with five of East Tennessee's shots being on goal. That advantage paid off late in the opening half, when the Buccaneers got on the board. Off a battle following a corner kick, Tom Webster beat VMI's Adrian Dominguez to tie the game at one, which is how the teams ended the half.

Early in the second half, the Bucs went on top. Freshman Aliyu Sugri fired a shot from Dominguez's left, just past the arms of the outstretched VMI keeper. The attempt bounced off the inside of the post and in, giving East Tennessee State a 2-1 advantage that it would not relinquish. The Keydets made several attempts to tie the score, and battled frequently in the Buccaneer zone late, but could not take advantage of any opportunities.

Dominguez made five saves in the VMI loss, while Holt stopped a pair of shots for the Bucs.

With the win, East Tennessee State moves to 2-1 on the young season, while the Keydets fall to 0-2. VMI Men's Soccer will return to action on Friday, as the Keydets host the Wofford Terriers at Patchin Field. Game time is currently set for 4 p.m.