A pair of close competitive matches in the season openers at home for the Redeemer soccer programs were quickly forgotten on Thursday evening after 5-0 and 4-0 losses for the Royals. The visiting Fanshawe Falcons wreaked havoc on the home team all night, scoring a combined 8 goals in the first half.

Both the Redeemer men's and women's teams did return to form in the second halves of both matches, coceeding just 1 goal (women's game) over the final span, but couldn't reverse the damage done in the first 45 minutes. 

An 8 minute window in the men's match was enough for Fanshawe to score 3 times, handing the Royals their first loss of the season. The Royals record drops to 1-1 and is the first time the men's team has been shutout at home since October 5, 2013. 

Mike Marcoccia scored in the 19th, 25th, and 27th minutes while David Harriman-Duke added the 4th in the 74th minute.

Earlier in the evening, Jade Kovacevic shined for Fanshawe, netting 4 first half goals (8th, 21st, 41st, 44th) in the win for the Falcons. 

The Lady Royals see their record fall to 0-2 and continue to search for their first win of the season. 

Both Redeemer teams return to action Saturday when they hit the road for the first time in 2015. The games offer a rematch of the home openers as the Royals travel to Sarnia to battle the Lambton Lions.