EASTON, Pa. – Men's soccer stole a win in their Patriot League opener Saturday night, defeating Lafayette, 1-0, thanks to senior forward Aidan Davock's third goal of the season. The score came with service from first-year defender Connor Cates, who logged his third assist of the year.

"Getting positive results on the road is very hard in the Patriot League, and I am proud of the effort put forth to earn the win," Head Coach Erik Ronning said.

The Raiders played with good pace at the onset, with Davock applying pressure to the Lafayette back line with speed multiple times within the first 10 minutes. But the Leopards offense also tested Colgate goalkeeper Andrew Cooke early, forcing the senior to make two saves within the first 15 minutes of action.

In between the two shots on goal, Colgate saw its best chance of the half when junior forward Alejandro Coury dumped off a pass to sophomore defender Liam Winograd in the box. Winograd was unable to corral the through ball, however, and returned possession to the Leopards after a defender poked the ball out of reach. 

Lafayette continued to put shots on net amidst spurts of Colgate possession but Cooke held strong, ending the first frame with four saves. After 45 minutes of play, the Raiders were being outshot 4-0 and ended the night trailing the Leopards 10-2 in shots. 

Cooke continued his hot streak in the second half with a diving save in the 54th minute. Ten minutes out of the halftime locker room, Colgate started clicking offensively with a cross from Cates just missing the right foot of Davock. 

In the 63rd minute, the duo would connect on the game-winning goal as Cates sent in a cross from the corner that Davock slotted into the top right corner. Two minutes later, the Raiders nearly doubled their advantage with a Coury cross that was inches away from first-year forward Conor Geraghty who came screaming in for the tap-in.

"I'm also really pleased that we continued to play positively after we scored, as well as showing the resolve to close the game out," Ronning said.  

Other than two Lafayette shots that never challenged Cooke in goal, Colgate controlled the rest of the match with meaningful possessions and clinical attacks. 

Cooke's five saves make for 12 denials in his last two starts. Davock, the Raiders' points leader, and Cates, who leads the team in assists, continued to prove themselves as the backbone of Colgate's offensive unit. 

UP NEXT
The Raiders stay on the road for a quick turnaround as they travel to Connecticut on Sept. 19 for a bout with Yale. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.