VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Lafayette men's soccer team fought Villanova to a 1-1 draw at Higgins Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Leopards found a few half chances in the early going, but nothing too convincing. Sophomore midfielder
Beaux Lizewski tried a long-range effort in the 13
th minute, but Villanova goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev made a comfortable save.
Senior forward,
Lawrence Aydlett had a good chance in the 17
th minute after Lizewski won back possession in midfield. The sophomore sprayed a 30-yard ball wide to Aydlett's feet who danced past his defender, but Yagudayev's feet cleared away the chance.
Maglione broke the deadlock in the 35
th minute with his first career goal. The Wildcats held the ball in their own defensive third, prior to senior captain
Carter Houlihan winning the ball back for Lafayette. Houlihan's pass found Aydlett who played it to Maglione quickly. The Allentown, N.J. native played a wall pass with senior
Andrey McIntyre before Maglione's initial effort was blocked by a Villanova defender. Maglione followed his own shot and tapped home the lead for the Maroon and White.
The Leopards drew fouls and managed the game well, heading into the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Villanova adjusted in the second half and brought more of the game to the Leopards. The Wildcats posted three more corners (3-0) and ended the match with more possession (51-49) despite trailing in the category at halftime.
The Wildcats had a corner at the 72:15 mark before they found the equalizer in the 74
th minute. A turnover in midfield by Lafayette allowed Villanova to quickly transition. Jason Bourgey picked up the ball on the half turn and immediately began to sprint at Lafayette's back line. With some crafty footwork, Bourgey slipped Vincent Petrera through on goal who poked his effort past goalkeeper
Griffin Huff to notch the match at one apiece.
Both sides created small chances down the stretch, but no one was able to find the defining moment. When the fulltime whistle blew, the points were shared.
Lafayette returns home for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Tuesday against non-conference opponent Binghamton.
To keep up with the Lafayette men's soccer team, follow its social media pages.
X/@LafayetteMSOC | Instagram/@lafayettemsoc | Facebook/GoLeopards
