JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The George Mason men's soccer team started both halves the right way – by scoring first.

But each time East Tennessee State responded with not one, but two goals as the Patriots suffered a 4-2 loss on the road Wednesday night.

After the start of the game was delayed almost three hours due to inclement weather, Mason (0-2) couldn't hold onto an early first-half lead. The Patriots regrouped to tie the game in the second half, but allowed two goals in the final 13 minutes as they lost for the second straight game.

“It was a tough result tonight,” Mason head coach Greg Andrulis said. “We started very well with a well-earned goal, but couldn't maintain the momentum. After falling behind, the guys showed some grit and got back in the match. However, conceding four goals will always be a recipe for disaster. Back to work and time to get things right for our home opener on Saturday.”

Despite falling behind 2-1 at halftime, Mason got back on level ground in the second half. Junior Henning Dirks knotted up the game in the 70th minute. Gilian Buijk came up the middle and passed to his left side to find Dirks, who led the team with seven goals in 2015. Dirks then fired a shot to the back right of the net to tie the game.

But the momentum was short-lived. ETSU (1-1) regained the lead just eight minutes later in the 78th minute. Mason goalkeeper Steffen Kraus made a save on a shot by Joao Ramalho but the Bucs' Cameron Woodfin was right there to tap in the deflection for the go-ahead goal. ETSU added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute on a penalty kick after Mason committed a foul in the box.

The game didn't begin until 9:45 p.m. due to a two hour and 45-minute weather delay with massive amounts of lightning in the area. In the first meeting on the pitch between the programs, the Patriots came out aggressive, firing off the first two shots of the game.

Their second proved successful. Freshman Tunde Akinlosotu scored his first career goal for a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute. Akinlosotu, a native of Bowie, Md., capitalized on a one-on-one matchup with ETSU goalkeeper Jonny Sutherland and slotted a shot into the bottom right corner.

But the Patriots' offense fell quiet, failing to get another shot off until 20 minutes into the second half. The Bucs tied the game in the 28th minute on a goal set up by cross. They then took the lead with less than nine minutes left in the half on a shot from outside the box and into the right corner.

The Patriots' offensive opportunities were few as ETSU outshot Mason 15-5.

Mason returns to action at 7 p.m. on Saturday when it hosts Longwood in its home opener at George Mason Stadium. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Mason students get in free with a valid student ID. On Saturday, the first 50 Mason students in the Patriot Platoon student section will receive a free Mason soccer T-shirt.