FAIRFAX, Va. - Three different members of the George Mason men's soccer team scored Wednesday night as the Patriots' offense exploded for a 5-3 victory over Towson at George Mason Stadium. Ryan Gracia tallied two goals and an assist on the night, while Wesley Sever and Taylor Morgan also scored in the Colonial Athletic Association win. Mason improved to 5-4-3 overall on the season with the triumph, while Towson dipped to 1-8-1, 0-5-0.

Towson opened the scoring just a minute and fifty seconds into the contest as Olakunle Banjo gained control of the ball off a Mason defender's foot and found the back of the net from 17-yards out on the far corner to give the Tigers a 1-0 early lead. The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Patriots countered just under seven minutes later with Sever's second goal of the season. Gracia, who was credited with the assist on the play, dropped a pass out to Sever from the middle of the box. Sever then blasted a shot into the right corner for the equalizer.

At the 19:09 mark, Morgan gave the Patriots their final lead of the contest with his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Sever, this time on the setup play, played the ball out to Morgan in the box. Morgan took a couple steps and finished from three yards out for the 2-1 Mason lead.

Gracia scored Mason's next two goals seven minutes apart to extend the Patriots' lead to 4-1 at intermission. On his first goal of the season, Gracia drilled a shot from 13-yards out in the middle of the box past Angelo Viteritti's hands for a 3-1 lead in the 32^nd minute. Gracia found the back of the net for the second time in the game just over seven minutes later when Hugh Roberts deflected the ball to Gracia who put it away from three-yards out.

Towson's Christian Hofer scored the first two goals in the second half to cut the score to 4-3 with 13 minutes to play. In the 56^th minute Hofer connected off a Javier Bermudez Roa free kick before scoring unassisted in the 78^th minute.

The Patriots finished off the scoring at 83:19 using an own goal. Carrying the ball down the near side, Morgan attempted a cross pass, but before the Patriots could gain control of the pass, Towson's Bermudez Roa kicked the ball in for the final 5-3 score.

Towson narrowly outshot Mason 13-11 in the contest, but the Patriots carried a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal. Gracia led Mason with five shots, including three on frame, while Hofer paced the Tigers, also with five shots, four on target. Timmy Mulgrew took two shots, while four additional Patriots recorded a shot apiece. Earning the win, Mason goalkeeper Sean Cote played the full 90 minutes and recorded two stops. For Towson, Viteritti allowed all five goals and made four saves.

Mason returns to the pitch on the road traveling to James Madison on Saturday, October 15 for a 7 p.m. contest.