EASTON, Pa. (10/14/2007)—Colgate University junior Matt Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) and senior Eric Anton (Tacoma, Wash.) scored goals 7:27 seconds apart late in the second half to lead the men’s soccer team to a big 2-1 victory over Lafayette in Easton. The loss was just the Leopards’ second of the season and stopped Lafayette’s nine-game win streak.

 

Colgate improves to 6-3-2 overall and remains unbeaten in conference action at 2-0-1. Lafayette falls to 6-2-4 overall and 1-1-1 in the league. The victory puts Colgate in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings.

 

Lafayette needed just three minutes to get on the scoreboard as Scott Hawkins headed Anthony Sepe’s corner kick past Colgate goalkeeper David Cappuccio for the 1-0 lead. The Raiders nearly tied the score off of an Anton header, but Leopard goaltender Philip Nelson made the diving stop to keep the 1-0 Lafayette advantage.

 

Cappuccio made a crucial save just a few minutes later, smothering a breakaway by Lafayette’s B.J. Glenn. Colgate continued to create dangerous scoring chances in the first half. An Anton shot skipped just wide in the 18th minute, while a shot from Leach with 12 minutes remaining in the first 45 minutes was kept out of the back of the net by Nelson.

 

Lafayette got one last chance late in the half as Cappuccio came up with his second save of the half to keep the game 1-0 at the break.

 

Coming out of the break, Colgate continued to stifle the Leopards’ offense, allowing just one shot on goal and just four shots total in the second half. Lafayette’s best chance came in the 56th minute, but it was Cappuccio away making the stop for the Raiders.

 

Colgate continued to pressure Lafayette and broke through at the 72:04 mark when Leach took a Dan Belke (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) pass and put it into the back of the net to tie the score. Just over seven minutes later, Anton put Colgate ahead for good with his first game-winner of the season.

 

Lafayette came into the game ranked second in the NSCAA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, while Colgate was sixth. This marked just the second time this season Lafayette has given up more than one goal in a contest this season.

 

Colgate outshot the Leopards 11-8 for the contest and won the corner kick battle, 3-2. In goal, Cappuccio went the full 90 minutes, making three saves. Nelson made six stops for Lafayette.

 

The Raiders take a break from Patriot League play this week with a midweek matchup at Binghamton on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.