HAMDEN, Conn. - The Lafayette men's soccer team created plenty of chances on Sunday afternoon, but couldn't find the back of the net as the Leopards fell by a 2-0 margin to Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn.

The Leopards outshot the Bobcats, 17-8, on the afternoon, with eight of their shots on target. However, Quinnipiac goalkeepers Chrysostamos Iakovidis and Brian Westerman combined for seven saves and a team save, keeping Lafayette out of the score column.

The Bobcats began the offensive threats with a chance in the 11^th minute. A Quinnipiac forward worked down into the right corner and sent a cross into the box for a header that forced an excellent diving save from Lafayette junior goalkeeper Brad Seeber.

Unfortunately, that early chance set the stage for the first tally of the game less than 10 minutes later. Rashawn Dally played a ball up the middle of the Leopard defense to a stationary Max Rothenbuecher, who back-heeled a pass to a cutting Matthew Taylor on the left side. Taylor had just Seeber to beat and slotted the ball into the back of the net on the left side for the opening goal.

Lafayette bounced right back, though, as a steal from senior Ben Marks set up a chance just a minute later. Marks left a ball for classmate Ryan Egan, who cut toward the middle of the box and forced a difficult, low save from Iakovidis.

Marks connected with freshman Evan Vare about eight minutes later, working down the left side and putting a ball right on Vare's feet cutting into the box. The rookie took one look up and fired a shot toward the high right corner, but another excellent save from Iakovidis thwarted the opportunity.

As the game moved through the halftime intermission, Lafayette was determined to score its first goal of the season and find an equalizer. In the 52^nd minute, the Leopards earned a free kick to the left of goal and Egan sent a beautiful ball to the far side where freshman Adam Bramson was waiting, unfortunately in an offside position, with a wide-open header.

That proved important, though, as it set up multiple Leopard threats over the next 10 minutes. Vare found an opening up the middle and forced a diving save to Iakovidis' left in the 58^th minute, while Marks beat a defender on the left side of the box and fired a shot past the keeper, but just outside the far post in the 60^th.

Unfortunately, Quinnipiac capitalized on an awkward free kick from Seeber in the 71^st minute, working a counter attack down the left side. Dally beat a defender and played a low ball across the goal mouth to an open Eamon Whelan on the far side, who finished behind Seeber for the second tally.

Vare had a shot cleared off the line by a defender in the 79^th minute and hit the crossbar in the 88^th, as it wasn't meant to be for the Maroon and White on Sunday. With the loss, the Leopards drop to 0-4 on the year with a pair of road games ahead.

Lafayette travels to Fordham on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a trip to Yale the following Saturday for a 7 p.m. clash with the Bulldogs.