August 31, 2014

(1-1-0) 1 2 F Lafayette 0 1 1 Rutgers 1 1 2 Box Score | Box Score (PDF) (2-0-0)

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Rutgers' Jason Wright tallied two goals to lead the Scarlet Knights past the Lafayette men's soccer team on Sunday afternoon in New Brunswick, N.J., 2-1.

An own goal off a Lafayette free kick in the 72^nd minute made it interesting down to the final buzzer, but the Leopards could not come up with the tying goal in the waning minutes and fell in defeat for their first loss of the season, moving them to 1-1-0 on the year.

Just nine minutes into the game, Rutgers' JP Correa sent a through ball on a string to the foot of Wright, who chipped it over the outstretched left arm of Lafayette keeper Sandy Leavy, off the right post, and into the left side netting for the opening goal. That tally was the first goal allowed for Leavy this season after recording a shutout in the Leopards' 1-0 season-opening win over Saint Peter's on Friday evening in Easton.

Lafayette's best scoring opportunity of the opening half came in the 39^th minute when Todd Forrester found a wealth of space down the left side on a counter-attack. His cross found the foot of Wyatt Fabian, who just narrowly missed it high, keeping the Maroon and White off the board.

Early in the second half, it looked like Lafayette was going to break through and tie it up. Greg Biggiani and Alec Golini worked a long ball into a 2v1 situation. Biggiani took it toward the Rutgers' goalkeeper, forcing him to come off his line. At the last moment, the senior sent it across the box to a streaking Golini, who just couldn't get his foot around the ball and sent a sliding shot over the top of an empty net.

The Scarlet Knights made the Leopards pay for missed opportunities in the 66^th minute when a low cross from Miles Hackett somehow found the foot of Wright again on the opposite side of the box. Wright patiently settled the ball on his right foot and slotted it in the top netting past Leavy for his second tally and the insurance goal his team needed.

The momentum changed in the 72^nd minute when Correa was called for a missed slide tackle just over midfield in the Rutgers defensive zone. A long ball was fed toward the box and an unlucky deflection off a Rutgers defender dropped over the head of keeper David Greczek and into the back of the net to cut the lead to 2-1 with 18 minutes to play.

The Leopards certainly had their chance to tie the game up when Biggiani found himself in an eerily similar scoring situation as his 2v1 with Golini, with a 2v1, this time with Forrester in the 82^nd minute. This time, Forrester had a chance to settle and put a great chance on net, but Greczek made an outstanding kick save to secure the win for the home team.

Lafayette's Leavy made two saves in defeat, while Greczek finished his second win of the season with three saves. Rutgers held a slight edge in shots at 10-8 and Lafayette head coach Dennis Bohn was sent off with his second yellow card and red card in the 89^th minute, forcing him to sit out the Leopards' next contest.

The Maroon and White travel to Bronx, N.Y. on Friday for a matchup with Fordham at 7 p.m.