Syracuse, N.Y. – Redshirt-sophomore midfielder Ziad Abdul-Malak (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and graduate defender Ben Quigley (Perth, Scotland/Community School of Auchterarder/University of Stirling) both recorded their first career goal on Sunday as the Le Moyne men's soccer team registered a 2-2 draw and earned a point in conference play against the visiting Stonehill Skyhawks at Ted Grant Field in their NEC opener.

The Skyhawks had a narrow edge in total shots, 16-15, and both teams put seven of their attempts on goal. Le Moyne's 15 shots are a season-high for the squad.

Stonehill held a 2-1 lead after 45 minutes of play, then Le Moyne found the equalizing goal from Quigley in the 65^th minute.

"I think we came away disappointed with the result and it shows where we feel we can be this season," said Le Moyne head coach Callum Donnelly '17, M '21. "It was quite an open game, and I think we need to be more secure in the defensive transition as it is where Stonehill looked dangerous. We scored another two goals which I am happy with, but it should be enough to win a game. We will look to improve and look forward to our game on Wednesday.

"We carried on from Delaware and looked dangerous in some moments in the match. I felt at 1-1 we have to take our opportunities, because Stonehill then punished us with two minutes left before halftime," Donnelly added.

The Skyhawks created a chance early on in the match when sophomore midfielder Owen Burke ripped a shot towards the upper right corner of the net, but Le Moyne freshman goalkeeper Wyatt Dupell (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) dove high in the air to his left, and got just enough of the ball with his right hand to deflect it up off the crossbar for his first save of the match.

In the 17^th minute, pressure from sophomore midfielder Cameron Stuart (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) and graduate midfielder Luca Nicastro (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean/St. Bonaventure) led to a turnover in Stonehill's defensive third. Nicastro corralled the ball and led Stuart with a pass into the left side of the box. Stuart played a cross on the ground towards the right post, but the Skyhawks were able to clear the ball away from danger.

Two minutes later, a quick give-and-go between redshirt-junior defender Jack Goodrich (Kelsall, England/King's School Chester) and Abdul-Malak, followed by a give-and-go between Goodrich and Stuart sent Goodrich on a run down the left wing. Goodrich sent a short pass to Nicastro, who received the ball just outside the six-yard box and took a left-footed shot that was blocked by senior goalkeeper Carlos Dias Neto.

In the 20^th minute, Stonehill senior forward Jacob Woznicki received a pass at the edge of Stonehill's attacking third, then slipped a pass in behind the Le Moyne defense for junior midfielder Colin Milliken. Milliken took a touch into the Le Moyne penalty area then poked the ball with his right foot past the oncoming goalkeeper and into the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The goal was Milliken's fifth of the campaign, and Woznicki registered his third assist of the season on the play.

Under two minutes later, the Dolphins won the ball back in their attacking third, and Nicastro sent a short pass ahead into the path of Abdul-Malak. Abdul-Malak dribbled past a defender into the box then smashed a right-footed shot on the ground into the bottom left corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1.

The goal gave Abdul-Malak his first points as a Dolphin, while the assist was Nicastro's first of the season. Nicastro, who also has two goals so far in 2023, now leads the team in points.

With 16:00 minutes remaining in the first half, Burke put another shot towards the upper right corner of the Le Moyne goal, but Dupell dove to his left and knocked the shot out of bounds for a corner kick. Dupell finished the match with five saves.

Following a Le Moyne throw in on the left sideline, Goodrich nutmegged a defender, made a run into the left side of the box and whipped a pass on the ground to the opposite side of the penalty area for redshirt-sophomore forward Jakob Priestman (Leek, England/Westwood/Missouri State), who took a touch to his right around an oncoming defender and hit a shot from just outside the six-yard box that was blocked by Dias Neto from point-blank range.

Sunday marked the collegiate debut for Priestman, and freshman forward Kjell Knaak (Aukrug, Germany/Schule Hohe Geest) logged 50 minutes off the bench after missing the previous two matches.

"I am so happy to see Priestman back on the park. He has worked ever so hard after the tough injury he had. I was upset to see Alessandro [Otte] come off (with an injury). We will know more soon on him in the next few days. We have battled all season with a small squad so it was nice to get some guys returning for conference play," said Donnelly.

In the 41^st minute, Abdul-Malak dribbled into Le Moyne's attacking third and ripped a right-footed shot that skipped just wide of the left post.

With just over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Skyhawks earned a corner kick. Senior defender/midfielder Shon Ryan played a cross into the box from the right flag, and Woznicki headed the ball into the center of the net to put the Skyhawks back in front just before halftime.

In the 62^nd minute, Woznicki tapped a layoff pass to Milliken at the top of the 18-yard box. Milliken drove a shot towards the top of the Le Moyne goal, but sophomore goalkeeper Wyatt Dupell (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) knocked the ball into the air with his right fist. Woznicki chased the rebound attempt, but Dupell blocked the follow-up shot away for a corner kick.

A little over two minutes later the Dolphins earned a corner kick, and Goodrich sent a left-footed cross in from the right corner flag. The cross was deflected by multiple players in the box, then Quigley stepped up to the loose ball and hit a left-footed shot that deflected off a Stonehill player and flew into the right side of the net to knot the score at 2-2.

The goal was Quigley's first in his Le Moyne career.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Stuart got the ball on the right wing, made a quick move to his left past a defender, dribbled into the right side of the box, cut to his left to beat another defender, then ripped a left-footed shot on the ground that was saved by Dias Neto.

The Dolphins were unable to put a shot on goal during the final 10 minutes, and the contest ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Le Moyne men's soccer team will return to action on Wednesday with a 4:00 p.m. non-conference match at Canisius University.