Sept. 29, 2001

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. (www.lafayette.edu) - Adam Rosen's goal in the 54th minute provided the only goal of the afternoon as American defeated the Lafayette men's soccer team, 1-0, in the Leopards' Patriot League opener on Saturday.

Neither team got much going offensively in the first half, with American holding a 4-2 shot advantage. American's Kris Bertsch drove a ball which forced Lafayette sophomore keeper Jay Freedman (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow East) to make a diving stop early on in the half. The Leopards had a solid chance in the 34th minute when sophomore Jamie Mullarkey (Cramlington, England/Cramlington) sent the ball into the goalmouth off a restart. American keeper Michael Behonick came off his line and stifled the opportunity, however.

The pace of play picked up considerably in the second half as the teams combined for 16 total shots. American (4-3-0, 2-0-0 PL) jumped on the board when Adam Rosen put home a deflected shot in the 54th minute. Eagle defender Jeff Kinney, a halftime substitution, hit a ball that deflected off a Lafayette defender and forced Freedman out of position. The rebound went to a waiting Rosen, who was directly in front of the goal, and he deposited it in the back left side of the net.

Lafayette (5-2-1, 0-1-0) almost tied the game in the 71st minute when Keith Evans (La Plata, Md./La Plata) sent a ball from the endline that hooked into the goalmouth and hit off the right post. With Behonick trapped in the goal, Eagle defender Larry McDonald had to clear the ball of the line.

Freedman made four saves on the afternoon for the Leopards, while Behonick made three stops for the Eagles.

Lafayette returns to action at Navy on Oct. 6.