FAIRFAX, Va. - The No. 20 George Mason men's soccer team opened its CAA season with a shutout as it topped UNC Wilmington, 2-0, on Saturday evening at George Mason Stadium.

With the win, the Patriots improved to 7-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the Seahawks dropped to 2-5-1 and 0-1 in CAA play.

Mason wasted no time finding the net, putting a tally on the board just 5:31 into the match. Junior Alex Herrera sent a feed into the box, finding Taylor Morgan in front of the UNCW net. Morgan's initial shot hit the left post, but he was able to keep the rebound away from UNCW keeper Brandon Bolen and tap the ball home for a 1-0 lead.

After starting quickly, the game became a battle between both squads, as the score remained 1-0 going into the break. At the half, shots were even at 4-4, while the Seahawks held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Two quick corners for the Patriots started the second stanza and a header by freshman Ghiles Harmouche five minutes in helped to put the Mason offense in stride as it picked up the attack and scoring opportunities.

Mason finally found the net in the 54^th minute. Harmouche dribbled the ball down the right line and fed it to the middle of the box where sophomore Timi Mulgrew collected the pass and sent the ball screaming over the head of UNCW keeper Sam Williams to extend the lead, 2-0.

The Patriots kept the offensive pressure strong during the remainder of the match and held the Seahawks to just three shots, including one on goal, as it held on for the shutout to start conference play.

For the match, Mason held a 12-7 advantage in shots, while the Seahawks led 8-7 in corner kicks.

Senior Dustin Butcher had a strong showing in net to collect his third shutout of the season, finishing with three saves. UNCW keeper Brandon Bolen started for the Seahawks but was injured in the 35^th minute and was replaced by Sam Williams. Bolen took the loss, allowing one goal with one save, while Williams allowed one goal and had four saves.

The Patriots have the week off before traveling to face ODU in conference action. The Monarchs were ranked fourth in the nation this past week, but dropped a 4-1 decision to Drexel today. The game is the Fox Soccer Channel College Game of the Week, and is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.