Just six days after opening their season, the Eastern Mennonite Royals opened up their Old Dominion Athletic Conference schedule. It was not a good start for EMU as Roanoke, the 2009 ODAC Tournament runner-up and No. 3 in the preseason poll, used their speed to get by the men, 5-0.

The Maroons scored early, putting in a breakaway goal just 11:55 in. Nine minutes before halftime, Roanoke scored again.

In the second half, the floodgates opened as the visitors scored three more times on the Royals, producing the final margin.

Keeper Ryan Baker (Virginia Beach, Va./Menchville) looked at 11 shots on goal in his 68 minutes of play. He picked up six saves.

Mitchell Leap (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) and Barkot Akalu (Shoa, Ethiopia) had the only shots on goal for the Royals.

Eastern Mennonite, now 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the ODAC, has a few days to regroup before travelling to Lansdale, Pa., for the Menno Soccer Classic this weekend. The Royals play Bluffton Friday at 8:00pm and Goshen Sunday at 3:00pm. All games are at Christopher Dock High School.