Brookville, N.Y. – Niklas Thanhofer converted a free kick in the 82nd minute to give Long Island University a 2-1 victory over the Le Moyne College men's soccer team in NEC action on Thursday afternoon at the LIU Soccer Park.
Following a save by each goalkeeper in the opening 11 and one-half minutes of the game, the Sharks got the scoring started just past the 15-minute mark as Kai Philipp finished off a feed from Tal Levy and Jack Stainrod.
Le Moyne evened the score at one apiece in the 23rd minute as graduate student midfielder
Antonino Pagano (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius/Syracuse/Coastal Carolina) tallied his first collegiate goal from the right side of the goal box off a feed from redshirt sophomore defender
Vito Kreuzpaintner (Munich, Bavaria, Germany/FOS Nord/UNC Wilmington).
Kreuzpaintner put the only other shot of the half on goal in the 43rd minute, but it was turned away by LIU goalkeeper Andrew Marotta.
Le Moyne had a pair of opportunities to take the lead in the 72nd minute, but the first shot by graduate student forward
Francesco Pagano (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius/Syracuse/Coastal Carolina) was cleared off the line by an LIU defender and then his second attempt 15 seconds later was saved by Marotta.
Following another save by Marotta in the 79th minute, the Sharks earned a free kick from just outside the top right corner of the penalty box at the 81:45 mark. Thanhofer drilled the ball off the crossbar and down into the net for his NEC-leading fifth goal of the season.
The Dolphins got off three shots over the final seven minutes, including one by sophomore midfielder
Giuliano Michitti (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) with 23 seconds left that had to be saved by Marotta, but could not find the equalizer.
Junior goalkeeper
Wyatt Dupell (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) recorded two saves in the setback for the Dolphins. Marotta finished the contest with six saves.
Le Moyne (2-8, 1-2 NEC) returns to action next Thursday at home for the first time in 18 days against Mercyhurst University at 3:30 p.m.