TROY, N.Y. – Senior Ben Caples scored a pair of goals to lead the Skidmore College men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Saturday afternoon at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Thoroughbreds improve to 5-1-3 (2-0-1 Liberty League), while the Engineers drop to 3-6-1 (1-1 Liberty League).
Caples (Wayland, MA/Bridgton Academy) opened the scoring early, when he picked up a loose ball in the attacking third and ripped a low, left-footed shot off the inside of the left post and in. The tally, which came three ticks into the sixth minute was his first of the year.
The Engineers answered with close to 20 minutes of possession and pressure at the other end of the field, which included four corner kicks and three attempts at goal. None of the three found the target, however, as the best chance was turned by freshman
Billy Chissoe (Gig Harbor, WA/Charles Wright Academy) – a header from 12 yards out that flashed by the right upright.
Skidmore earned its first corner in the 27th minute, but could not make anything of it.
RPI's best chance of the half came in the 39th minute, when junior
Brandon Pirog (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) got his head to a
Michael Harten (Merrick, NY/Stanford H. Calhoun) corner, but the solidly struck effort was directed right at Thoroughbreds junior goalkeeper Sebastian Bosch (Livonia, NY/Livonia).
Caples completed the brace in the in the 49th minute, when he finished a cross from junior Matt Schwab (Stowe, VT/Stowe), first time, for a 2-0 advantage. A ball was played out the right flank for Schwab, who delivered a low cross towards the top of the six for Caples to drive home, just under the bar.
The hosts drew to within 2-1 in the 64th minute, on a penalty kick by junior
Dillon Ashong (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington). In the box for a free kick moments earlier, Ashong was pulled down while going up for a cross and drew the kick from the spot. He calmly put away a right-shot for his first on the year.
Despite waves of attacking play, the Engineers are not able to notch in the equalizing goal over the final 25 minutes. Bosch (5-1-3) finishes with two saves, while RPI junior captain
Matt LaBranche (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) was kept off the stat sheet. Eight different players registered shots for the Engineers.
Rensselaer is back in action on Saturday, when it visits area-rival Union College (1pm). Skidmore hosts Williams College on Wednesday (7pm).
