TROY, N.Y. – Senior Dylan Confair recorded a pair of assists and four other tallied as the No. 12/14 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's soccer team defeated Eastern Nazarene College, 4-0, on Saturday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. With the win, the Engineers improve to 15-2-3 and advance to tomorrow's Second Round game against Middlebury College (3pm). The Lions conclude their season at 16-4-0.

With the shutout victory, the Engineers set a school record for victories and goals (43) in season, surpassing the 1996 and 2009 (41 goals) teams that each recorded 14. RPI advances past the opening round for the fifth time in school history, doing so most recently in 2015, when it defeated Stevens, 2-1, in overtime.

Eastern Nazarene turned the game's first chance in the 11th minute, when junior Leon Zaffonato (Canela, Brazil/Marista Maria Imaculada) ripped a left-footed just high and wide of the right corner.

RPI then broke onto the board on a free kick from the left side in the 22nd minute. Confair (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport Area) delivered the first of his two assists on the day, finding junior Michael Harten (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) in the middle of the box for a header and his first goal of the season.

Eight minutes later, freshman Ben Kogan (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) stuck home the hosts' second goal, latching onto a loose ball at the edge of the six and smashing home his second of the season. Junior Paul Silva (Wayne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep.) collected his third assist on the play.

The Engineers took their 2-0 lead into the break along with a narrow 5-4 shot advantage. RPI also won three first half corners, while not allowing one to the Lions.

Freshman Arik Duncan (Decatur, GA/Woodward Academy) made it a 3-0 game in the 65th minute, getting his head to another service from Confair. Once again swinging a ball in from the left side, he found Duncan at the far post, where he was able to squeeze his header just inside the right upright for his fifth goal of the season.

RPI continued to attack to the tune of an 11-0 shot disparity in the second half. A near own goal in the 68th minute was followed by a fourth Engineers tally in the 80th. Freshman Chris Heffernan (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) set up classmate Gabe Terando (Hopedale, MA/Hopedale) for his second goal of the year. Heffernan settled a lofted ball on the right side of the penalty area, before sending a square pass across the box to Terando for the finish.

Sophomore goalkeeper Luke Brezak (Camano Island, WA/The Overlake School) improved to 10-0-3 by making one save in the first 78 minutes, before giving way to senior captain Matt LaBranche (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional). Tim Eddings (Endicott, NY/Union Endicott) dropped to 7-3-0 on the year with four saves.

Duncan finished with a game-high four shots, including three on goal. Zaffonato recorded two of the Lions' four attempts on the day.

RPI's four goals are the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, breaking the 50-year-old record of three by the 1969 team, which fell to Hartick, 5-3, in the opening round.