WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College erased a halftime deficit with a pair of early second-half goals, but visiting Carthage answered with two late tallies to hand the Warriors a 3-2 non-conference defeat on Thursday at Warriors Soccer Field.

The Firebirds (2-1-1) struck first in the 13th minute when Emmitt Hansen netted an unassisted score at 12:06. CC controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting WLC 6-1 and holding a 1-0 advantage at the intermission behind two first-half saves from junior goalkeeper Owen Gault (Moline, Ill.).

Wisconsin Lutheran (1-3-0) flipped the momentum immediately following the break. Just 34 seconds into the second half, sophomore Edgar Gomez (Racine, Wis.) buried his first goal of the season unassisted to tie the match at 1-1.

The Warriors kept pressing and seized a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute. Sophoimore Bogdan Tereshchenko (Green Bay, Wis.) fed junior Rolando Colin (Racine, Wis.), who slotted home his first goal of the campaign at 55:07.

Carthage leveled the contest in the 68th minute when Kevin Sarazin converted a pass from Theron Miceli at 67:51. The Firebirds then netted the game-winner with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, as Juan Ramirez scored a free kick at 84:38.

WLC made a final push in the closing minutes, but senior Aydan Scortino's (Pewaukee, Wis.) shot in the 88th minute was turned away by CC keeper Owen Malinowski to preserve the result.

Carthage finished with a 12-8 advantage in total shots and a 6-5 edge in shots on goal, while also earning six corner kicks to Wisconsin Lutheran's three.

Scortino led Wisconsin Lutheran with four shots (two on target), while Colin added two shots on goal. Gault finished with three saves in 90 minutes in net for the Warriors. Malinowski also recorded three saves to earn the win for the Firebirds.

WLC returns to action on Monday, September 14, hosting UW-River Falls (1-1-1) in non-conference play at 5 p.m. at Warriors Soccer Field.