HENDERSON, Tenn. - Despite keeping possession for most of the match and out-shooting Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.), 18-8, the Freed-Hardeman Lions gave up two early goals that proved to be the difference in a 2-0 loss to the Trojans on Saturday afternoon.

Manual Saez scored both goals for the Trojans (7-5, 5-2), who held on to their second-place spot in the conference standings with the win.

Saez's first goal came in the ninth minute as the result of a misplayed pass in the defensive third. The errant pass was chested down by Andres Barrera, who centered the ball to Javier Gomez. Gomez in turn touched it to Saez, who dribbled free of the defense and beat FHU keeper Duncan Black to the left post.

Saez struck again in the 20th minute, dribbling past the defense and into the box on a counter-attack and sending a shot that deflected off of a Lion defender and into the upper right corner.

After that, the Trojans didn't get many more scoring opportunities while the Lions had several. In the last five minutes of the first half, FHU had good chances off two headers from set pieces but couldn't convert.

The looks continued in the second half, but the Lions barely missed the framework on multiple occasions. Joao Junquiera also made a huge defensive play in the 69th minute for HLG, clearing a shot by Stefano Basso off the line just before it crossed for a goal.

NOTES: The loss puts the Lions in seventh place in the conference standings. The top seven teams qualify for the conference tournament...Saez's two-goal match was his second in his last four outings...The Lions have been held scoreless in four of their last five matches.

UP NEXT: FHU travels to Lyon (Ark.) College on Tuesday for a 3:00 PM kickoff.