TROY, N.Y.- The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's soccer team opened Liberty League play with a 2-1 victory against Bard tonight in ECAV Stadium.

RPI benefited from an own goal by Bard with 44 seconds remaining before the final whistle. The score had been tied 1-1 throughout the closing stages of the second half before the Raptors knocked in the go-ahead score.

Gianfranco Loli had gotten the Engineers going with a strike from 25 yards away off an assist from Owen Schnur in the match's 38th minute, however Bard would tie things up after successfully converting a penalty kick with 16 minutes left in the game.

Schnur was on the delivering end of the RPI free kick that deflected backwards off a Bard defender with under a minute remaining.

Looking ahead, the Engineers will stay in the Liberty League for a 2:00 pm date with St. Lawrence on Saturday in ECAV Stadium.