SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Dennis Bohn and the Lafayette men's soccer team traveled north for a non-conference clash with Le Moyne on Tuesday afternoon, that resulted in the team's sixth win of the season (2-1).
Due to the non-conference occasion, both squads played deeper into their depth charts than normal. Both sides battled in midfield in the early going. Freshman forward
Gabe Faust looked lively for Lafayette, creating pressure on the Dolphins' back line. After 15 minutes, it appeared the Leopards were content with holding a line of confrontation and allowing Le Moyne to hold more possession.
In the 25
th minute, Faust broke the deadlock with his first collegiate goal. Both teams were battling in the air, before sophomore midfielder
Max Fujimori tracked down a second ball. He quickly dribbled down the line and played an incisive pass to Faust. The Cherry Hill, N.J. native took one touch to set himself and struck a left-footed missile with his second, beating Matthew Gera to his bottom left corner.
As the half wore on, Le Moyne created more chances. In the 31
st minute, Jack Goodrich made his way forward and forced a quality save from junior goalkeeper
Eric Axtman. Axtman finished the match with a season-high six saves and was dependable all afternoon.
The Dolphins scored the equalizer in the 37
th minute. Cameron Stuart was chasing after a loose ball when a Leopard tripped him inside the penalty area. Goodrich stepped up to take the spot kick, which Axtman initially saved, but Noah Morelli was close by to tap it home.
At the intermission, neither side held the advantage (1-1).
Axtman got right back to work in the 63
rd minute with another big save. A Dolphins' defender sprayed a long ball to the wide right channel where Victor Boje Henriksen was making a run. His first-time volley was on frame but Axtman was up to the task.
Fujimori jumped a pass in the 79
th minute that led to his game-winning goal. A Le Moyne defender tried to play a square pass in its own defending third, but Fujimori read it. After nicking the ball in stride, the Trumbull, Conn. native calmly tucked the ball into the bottom left corner of Gera's goal for his second of the season.
Both sides recorded a few chances in the final stages of the match, but at the final whistle the Leopards advanced to 6-4-3 on the year.
Lafayette returns to action at 7 p.m. on Saturday, traveling to the nation's capital to face American.
To keep up with the Lafayette men's soccer program, follow its social media pages.
X/@Lafayette_MSOC | Instagram/@lafayette_msoc | Facebook/GoLeopards
