ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (6-7-0, 3-2-0 Liberty League) men's soccer team defeated Bard College (5-7-0, 0-5-0 Liberty League), 2-1 in Liberty League action from a soggy Tiger Stadium Friday afternoon. Gene Sicoli (Commack, NY/Commack) and Scott Geyer (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) scored for the Tigers, who won their third Liberty League contest and moved into a tie for second place in the league standings.
 
Shots were 21-12 in favor of the Tigers, who took nine corner kicks to one for the Raptors. Peter Cinibulk (Bellbrook, OH/Bellbrook) got the start in net for the Tigers, picking up his fifth win of the season, making three saves. Taylor Bond took the loss in net for Bard, making 11 saves.

Bard had a good chance in the third minute when Nick Shenberger, the league's leading scorer, fired a shot from 10 yards out that Cinibulk was ready for and saved. Shenberger had another good chance about 10 minutes into the game when he won a 50/50 ball and shot from 20 yards out that just missed the far post.

In the 11th minute, RIT had a good chance off a corner kick. Sicoli sent in the service that found Rueben Marquez (Williamson, NY/Williamson) on the back post. He fired a volley first time that Bond saved. The rebound came to Tristan Scott (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) and he weaved around defenders into the Bard penalty box and fired a shot that Bond was able to get to and stop.

The Tigers broke through in the 13th  minute when Sicoli tallied his team leading eight goal of the season. Marquez started the play with his shot that ricocheted to Sicoli and he buried a shot into the lower left corner for a 1-0 RIT lead.

Bard answered with a goal in the 14th minute when Brendan Byrne scored off a rebound on a free kick from Zander Cowen. The rebound off the free kick came to Byrne and he buried a shot into the lower corner, tying the score at 1-1.

Just before halftime, RIT tallied the go-ahead goal when Geyer scored off a scramble in front of the Bard net. Ohan Filibach had a shot blocked and the ball rattled around in the Bard box. Geyer was able to finally toe home a shot to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Austin Higgins had a good chance after halftime to tie the score from Bard when he fired a shot from 10 yards out. Cinibulk came off his line enough to make the save and preserve the lead.

With a little over 11 minutes to play in regulation, RIT had a golden opportunity to put the game away. Dean Kouroupas (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) found Ryan McMaster (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) and played him in 1-on-1 with Bond with a through-ball. McMaster tried to place a shot first time into the left corner, but his shot went just wide and out of play.

The RIT defense was able to hold off the Raptors over the final few minutes to preserve the win and stay in a tie for second place in the Liberty League standings with nine points.

RIT returns to action on Saturday as part of Brick City Weekend when they face Liberty League rival Vassar College at 2 p.m. on the grass at Tiger Stadium.