Box Score

POTSDAM, N.Y. - Rensselaer took advantage of an open shot and the Red Hawks held Clarkson off the scoreboard to earn a 1-0 win in Liberty League men's soccer action Saturday afternoon at Clarkson Field.   RPI improves to 4-3-1 overall and 1-1 in the league.  The Golden Knights falls to 2-5-1 and 0-2.

Though Rensselaer out shot Clarkson 5-2 in the first half, neither team came up with great chances. On two occasions midway through the opening half, the Knights had crosses that almost found the heads of their strikers, but the Red Hawks were able to clear the ball away.

Rensselaer had a tremendous opportunity early in the second half when the ball was mishandled by Clarkson keeper Johnathon Rushing (Paw Paw, MI).  He quickly recovered and was able to make a save on a point-blank shot by Gary Sroka (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). The ball careened out to Mike Long (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton), but a Clarkson defender was able to deflect it out of the zone to keep the game scoreless.

The scoreless drought broke in the 62nd minute for the Red Hawks when Sean Fleury (Princeton, MA/Wachusett Regional) crossed the ball from the corner into the penalty area, finding a wide open Sroka.  He calmly chipped the ball in from ten yards out for his third goal of the season. Rensselaer smartly spent the last 15 minutes keeping the ball away from the Knights and held on for the victory.

RPI finished the game with a 12-4 advantage in shots and a 4-2 lead in corner kicks. Rushing finished with six saves for Clarkson and Alex Penny (Northport, NY/Northport) earned his third win of the season in goal for Rensselaer, making one stop for the shutout.

Clarkson is back in action Wednesday when it plays host to Cazenovia in a non-league match (4pm). The Red Hawks will also host a non-conference contest on Wednesday when Alfred visits Harkness Field.