FAIRFAX, Va. – A late goal prevented the George Mason men's soccer team from getting its first win.

The Patriots, however, held on for a 1-1 draw against Longwood in their home opener on Saturday night at George Mason Stadium. Longwood scored in the 83rd minute to tie the game and force overtime. Neither team could score in extra time as the teams battled to a double-overtime draw.

“We left them hanging (around). (Longwood) had a chance,” Mason head coach Greg Andrulis said. “I think they had one shot on goal in the second half and it was a goal. That is the game of futbol, though. I thought we did a very good job with possession. We kept it. We moved it. We just have to be a little more decisive in the final third (offensively).”

Mason (0-2-1) took a one-goal lead into halftime thanks to pressure from the offense and a mistake by Longwood. In the 34th minute, with the Patriots pushing toward Longwood's penalty box, Mason's Matt Tucker broke up a pass. He started running for the loose ball and a Longwood defender, in attempt to clear the ball, kicked it over his own goalkeeper and into the net for an own goal.

The Patriots couldn't add a second goal, though, despite firing off 16 shots, including nine in the second half. But only one of those shots in the second half were on goal.

“We needed to be better in the offensive third,” Andrulis said. "We had an awful lot of possessions tonight. I thought we moved the ball well. The guys' work rate was really good. I don't have any complaints about that part of it. We were just too predictable in the final third. Obviously, when you have that much possession and you have that much territory, you've got to do better with the final chances. We just weren't dangerous enough in that respect.”

The Lancers (1-0-1) found an equalizer with less than eight minutes left. Zach Corcoran received a pass on the right side and fired a shot into the top right corner past an outstretched Steffen Kraus.

Mason posed a few threats in overtime but none were fruitful. Zach Herstek had a shot at the top of the box thwarted away by Longwood keeper Carlos Canas just 13 seconds into the first overtime. In the 108th minute, Henning Dirks drew a foul and Longwood yellow card. His free kick yards outside the box was on the mark but just sailed high.

Kraus finished with three saves for Mason, while Canas had five for Longwood.

After opening the season with three games in nine days, the Patriots will have a bit of a break before their next game. Mason hosts Cornell on Friday in the D.C. Capitol Cup and then welcomes Gonzaga the following Sunday.