Philadelphia, P.A. – The Le Moyne College men's soccer team earned another 1-0 victory on Sunday to improve to 2-0 on the season. After taking down Caldwell University by a score of 1-0 at home on Thursday, the Dolphins kept another clean sheet on the road against Jefferson during today's non-conference match. Cameron Stuart (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) scored his first career goal and put the Dolphins on top during his collegiate debut against Caldwell, and today it was Benedict Klimmek (Kiel, Germany/RBZ am Schützenpark) who found the back of the net for the first time as a Dolphin to provide his side with a go-ahead goal.

Each team put just one shot on goal during the first half. In the 22^nd minute, the Dolphins earned a corner kick, and Jack Goodrich (Kelsall, England/King's School Chester) took it from the right corner flag with his left foot.

His kick was cleared away by a Jefferson defender at the near post, and the ball fell to Le Moyne forward Owen Bauer (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker/UNC Asheville) about 25 yards away from goal. Bauer was quickly closed down by a defender and he knocked the ball all the way back to Brett Stern (Lockport, N.Y./Newfane/Duquesne) near midfield.

Stern sent a pass in the air towards the top of the Rams 18-yard box where graduate defender Michael Lantry (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Syracuse/DePaul), with his back to goal, headed the ball parallel to his left onto the foot of sophomore forward Michael Sparkes (Glasgow, Scotland/St. Ninians). Sparkes' right-footed shot was blocked by a Jefferson defender and the ball bounced directly to Goodrich, who was standing five yards behind Sparkes.

Goodrich's first touched popped the ball up in the air, then the redshirt-sophomore defender took a shot with his left foot that bounced towards goal and hit the right post before rolling back into the right side of the penalty area. Sparkes followed the shot and was first to the rebound, poking the ball in the air away from goal before a Jefferson defender could clear it. Sparkes continued to pursue the ball but was unable to connect on a volley attempt.

The ball took another bounce in the box before Klimmek pounced on it and ripped a hard shot that was on target and required Jefferson goalkeeper Juan Bahena to dive to his right and make a great save to prevent the 'Phins from going up 1-0. Bahena deflected the ball out of bounds for another corner kick.

With 13:30 remaining in the first half, Le Moyne goalkeeper Josh Mahr (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) made a save on a shot from Jefferson forward Mohamed Jawara that was taken from inside the 18-yard box to keep the game scoreless. Today's match was the second time in his career that Mahr has recorded a clean sheet on the road against the Rams, and the fourth time that the graduate keeper has played the full 90 minutes in net during a Le Moyne win over Jefferson.

The Dolphins went on a quick counterattack with just over 32 minutes remaining in the second half. With the score still tied 0-0, the Rams were awarded a throw in at the edge of their attacking third. Le Moyne senior defender Ben Quigley (Perth, Scotland/Community of Auchterarder/University of Stirling) quickly dispossessed the Jefferson forward following the throw and kicked the ball ahead.

The next pass was sent to freshman Jackson Card (McGraw, N.Y./McGraw) who, in the midst of his Le Moyne debut, received the ball just beyond midfield and turned towards goal to find only one defender and the keeper between him and the net. Card ran with pace into the Dolphins attacking third while two sets of two defenders on both sides of him sprinted back into the picture to assist in the counter defense.

A few steps before he reached the 18-yard box, Card sent a pass on the ground to his right in the path of Bauer, who was sprinting hard up the right wing. Bauer's first touch took him to the right, away from goal and at the very edge of the penalty area the senior forward took a shot with his right foot that flew to the right of the post and out of bounds for a goal kick.

The match was still tied 0-0 in the 62^nd minute when Le Moyne earned a corner kick. Goodrich placed the ball down at the left corner flag and backed up a few steps, prepared to take the kick. A cluster of players gathered in the middle of the box, and at the edge of the cluster stood 6'7" Le Moyne graduate defender Benedict Klimmek.

Goodrich struck the ball with his left foot, and as the ball took flight Klimmek separated himself from the group and drifted towards the back post. Goodrich's ball curled to the right and dove towards the edge of the six-yard box. Klimmek, reacting to the flight of the ball, shuffled back to his left, and fell to the ground after striking the ball with his forehead and sending a rocket past the Jefferson goalkeeper which rippled the net and gave the 'Phins a 1-0 lead.

The Rams were unable to put a shot on goal during the second half, and for the second consecutive match to begin the 2022 season Le Moyne's defensive unit of Klimmek, Quigley, Lantry and keeper Mahr have kept a clean sheet.

The Le Moyne College men's soccer team will return to action on Saturday, September 3 when they host Georgian Court University for a match on Ted Grant Field at 1:00 p.m.