West Long Branch, N.J. –  The Monmouth University Hawks scored a go-ahead goal in the 1^st minute at home on Tuesday against the Le Moyne men's soccer team, then they held off the visiting Dolphins over the next 85 minutes before putting away an insurance goal with 4:10 left in the contest to claim a 2-0 win in non-conference action.

CAA side Monmouth took a 1-0 lead 54 seconds into the game when fifth year forward Ben Zakowski brought down a long pass in the right side of the box, cut back to his left and drove a shot into the left side of the goal.

Zakowksi also put away the Hawks' second goal on a well-placed shot in the 86^th minute to register his second brace of the 2023 campaign.

After conceding the early goal, the Dolphins thought they found their equalizer in the sixth minute when freshman forward Felix Ludemann (Wrestedt, Germany/Herzog-Ernst-Gymnasium Uelzen) hit the back of the net on a rebound opportunity, but Ludemann was ruled offsides and the goal was disallowed.

Le Moyne created that opportunity through some defensive pressure in Monmouth's defensive third. As the Hawks back line possessed the ball, Le Moyne sophomore forward Cameron Stuart (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) and redshirt-junior Noah Sperduto (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira) worked to cut off potential passing lanes.

Stuart's pressure led to an errant pass from the Monmouth defense, which was intercepted by graduate midfielder Luca Nicastro (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean/St. Bonaventure) just outside the 18-yard box.

Nicastro set up the ball on his right foot and smashed a shot on the ground that beat the diving goalkeeper but struck the left post and quickly skipped back into the middle of the penalty area. Ludemann was well-positioned inside the box and passed the ball into the empty net with his first touch. Ludemann appeared to be onside per the instant replay, however the goal was disallowed, and the score remained 1-0 in favor of the home team.

"It's an area we want to try to improve on game by game, but we look dangerous when we are pressing from the front," said Le Moyne head coach Callum Donnelly '17, M '21 after the game. "I think we can do more of this and be brave even though we are coming against some top opposition.

"It's very frustrating to lose the goal this early in the game, but I am very pleased with the reaction after we conceded. I think the players showed that they have been up against it all year, right from the first moment in preseason, but we continue to fight hard for each other in the difficult moments. We came up against a very talented team tonight," Donnelly added.

Ludemann carried the ball with pace up the left wing in the eighth minute and was brought down just outside the 18-yard box. On the ensuing set piece, Nicastro drove a high shot on goal that Monmouth redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Eryk Dymora jumped in the air to catch.

Le Moyne freshman goalkeeper Wyatt Dupell (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) made his collegiate debut and first career start during the match, recording six saves during the 90 minutes.

Dupell, who earned United Soccer Coaches All-America recognition, as well as Scholar All-America honors at local Cicero-North Syracuse High School last fall, sprinted off his line in the 15^th minute to disrupt a through ball played into the box for Zakowski, then he dove to his left and knocked away a shot from Zakowski with just under 24 minutes remaining in the first half to tally his first career save.

With 14 minutes left in the first half, Le Moyne freshman forward Kjell Knaak (Aukrug, Germany/Schule Hohe Geest) showed off some blazing speed up the right wing. After Le Moyne's backline passed out of pressure, Nicastro received the ball at the sideline and sent a pass between two defenders to Knaak. Knaak took a big touch past a sliding Hawk, then raced into space up the right side of the pitch. Knaak dribbled diagonally towards the right side of the Monmouth penalty area and sped in front of a retreating Hawk defender.

He absorbed some slight contact from behind and continued his run to the edge of the six-yard box, where the rookie from Germany placed a right-footed shot to the left of the oncoming goalkeeper that hit the right post of the goal frame. The ball stayed in play, but the scrambling Monmouth defense regained possession and cleared the ball away from danger.

In the 37^th minute, Zakowski made a move to his left in Le Moyne's attacking third and ripped a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced back out into the field of play where Dupell grabbed it in the air.

Following a long free kick for the Dolphins with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half, the ball popped out to redshirt-junior defender Jack Goodrich (Kelsall, England/King's School Chester), who stood well outside the 18-yard box. Goodrich set the ball up on his left foot, then took a shot that knuckled towards the goal. Dymora dove slightly to his right to catch the shot and prevent a rebound opportunity with Sperduto crashing towards the net.

Less than five minutes into the second half, Monmouth midfielder Carl Valgma carried the ball up the left wing and sent a pass on the ground into the box for midfielder Erik Reis, who took a touch to his left and ripped a shot on the ground about eight yards from goal. The shot was hit hard and on target, but Dupell dropped down and made a kick save to knock the ball away from goal for a corner kick.

With 32 minutes remaining in the second half, Knaak made a quick move away from a Monmouth defender and accelerated into the right side of Le Moyne's attacking third. He cut slightly to his right and carried the ball into the Monmouth penalty area, then ripped a right-footed shot on the ground that was blocked by a diving Dymora.

Monmouth took a corner kick in the 67^th minute, and defender Gabe Dahlin placed a header towards the bottom left corner of the net, but Dupell dove to his right, blocked the shot and corralled the ball to keep the score at 1-0.

Zakowski received a pass just outside the Le Moyne penalty area with 10:22 left in the second half, and he was able to put a shot on goal towards the bottom right corner of the net. Dupell reacted quickly, dove to his left and deflected the ball away from goal for a corner kick.

In the 86^th minute, Monmouth freshman midfielder Artuto McConnochie sent a pass ahead for Zakowksi, who took a touch forward to the edge of the 18-yard box and drove a right-footed shot on the ground across the goal mouth and into the left side of the net to tally his fifth goal of the season and give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

Le Moyne recorded eight shots during the match, which is their second-highest shot total through four games this season. The 'Phins tallied a season-best 12 shots during their 1-1 draw at Saint Peter's on August 31.

Le Moyne's shot on goal percentage through four games is 0.621, compared to 0.412 for their opponents.

The match concluded Le Moyne's four-game road stand to begin the season, and the Dolphins will return to action on Sunday for their home opener at Ted Grant Field against the Lindenwood University Lions.

"I think we have to take the positives into (Sunday's) game," said Donnelly. "Lindenwood will be a very-well coached and tough opponent for us. We are excited to play at home and in front of our own fans. We have to use that energy on Sunday to our advantage and make it a difficult match for our opponents."