TROY, N.Y. - Sophomore Paul Silva scored a late second half to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Williams College, on Wednesday night at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Engineers improve to 4-1 overall, while the Ephs drop to 0-2-1.

With the game tied at 1-1, freshman right back Andy Zhao (Novi, MI/Walled Lake Western) lifted a high cross towards the middle of the penalty area. Senior Austin Betterly (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh) got on the end of it with a glancing header that found Silva (Wayne, NY/Seton Hall Prep) all alone at he back post. He coralled the ball with a touch, before slotting it past Williams sophomore goalkeeper Teddy Rader (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greenley) for his second goal of the season.

RPI was able to kill much of the final five minutes with some hold up play and timely clearances of the defensive third to hold on for the win.

Senior Dylan Confair (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport Area) opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, when a long ball from deep in the RPI end was misplayed by a Williams defender. Confair found himself on a breakaway against Rader and ripped a shot inside the left post from a few steps inside the penalty area.

The Engineers took their 1-0 lead into halftime, despite being outshot, 4-2. 

Williams was little time pulling even in the second half, as senior Liam Bardong (Manhasset, NY/Friends Academy) headed home a corner kick from junior Eli Petrik (Austin, TX/Westlake) in the 49th minute. The tally was his first of the year.

Sophomore goalkeeper Luke Brezak (Camano Island, WA/The Overlake School) was forced to make his only save of the second half in the 65th minute, when Williams senior Demian Gass (Houston, TX/The Kinkaid School) found some space at the top of the box and ripped a low shot on goal. Brezak smothered the attempt on a hop.

Both sides then had chances to go ahead, but neither were able to reach the target until Silva's eventual winner.

RPI finished with a 51-49 advantage in possession, while the Ephs won the shots battle 9-6 and the corners, 5-1. The Engineers' win is just the second in 18 games of the series, with their last victory coming in 2013 (3-2 in Troy. 

Brezak (4-0) made one save in each half to pick up the victory, while Rader (0-2-1) had two stops for Williams.

The Engineers are back in action on Saturday, when they host SUNY Potsdam at East Campus Stadium (12pm). The Ephs visit Wesleyan on Saturday (3pm).