MOBILE, AL --- A trio of goals in the first 30 minutes proved too much for the NAIA's No. 2-ranked Concordia, and a two-goal outburst midway through the game was not enough, as the Eagles took a 5-2 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame (OH).

The Eagles fall to 3-2 on the campaign, and take their first loss to an NAIA opponent--albeit a highly ranked one--this season. Notre Dame, which took a 2-1 loss from No. 5 Azusa Pacific last night, improves to 5-1 with the victory.

The Blue Falcons got on the scoreboard early with the first of their three unanswered goals coming off the foot of Simon Rumbold, who volleyed in a cross from Tom Mellor at 13:00.

Mellor would end the game with two goals and the assist, but his two goals were icing on the cake midway through the second half. Notre Dame took a 3-0 advantage when Luke Holmes and Jonny Morris scored in the 24th and 29th minutes, respectively.

Down, 3-0, Concordia fought back in the remainder of the first half and into early into the second, as senior defender Joel Smith tallied his first goal of the season on an assist from junior forward Roi Castro to make it a 3-1 game in the 41st minute.

Senior midfielder Adrian Martinez would score five minutes into the second half to make the tally 3-2, but Mellor scored goals in the 56th and 57th minutes to make the final score 5-2.

Sophomore goalkeeper James Rammelsberg made a pair of saves in 58 minutes, before junior keeper Mike Radchuk played the final 32 minutes, making one save.

Notre Dame keeper Craig Pickering turned away eight shots agains the Eagles, who out-shot their opponent by a 12-10 margin.

The last time Concordia allowed five goals in a game was a 5-0 loss to Point Loma Nazarene Oct. 26, 2004, a stretch of 90 contest.

Concordia next plays at NCAA Div. III UC Santa Cruz this Thursday (Sept. 17) at 4 p.m.