ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (7-7-0, 4-2-0 Liberty League) men's soccer team notched its third straight win, defeating Vassar College (6-5-2, 2-3-0 Liberty League) 1-0 on a chilly but sun-drenched Tiger Stadium Saturday afternoon as part of Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend. Freshman Gene Sicoli (Commack, NY/Commack) tallied the game's only goal, converting a penalty kick in the 30th minute.

With the win, RIT now has 12 points in the Liberty League standings, tied for second with St. Lawrence. The Tigers are in prime position to clinch a postseason berth as the regular season winds down.

"I thought we deserved the win today," said RIT Head Coach Bill Garno. "The guys really battled all weekend to get is six points."
 
Shots were 14-11 in favor of the Tigers, who took eight corner kicks to six for the Brewers. Peter Cinibulk (Bellbrook, OH/Bellbrook) got the start in net for the Tigers, picking up his fifth win of the season, making three saves. Sebastien Lasseur took the loss in net for Vassar, making six saves.

RIT had a chance in the sixth minute on a nice build up from the back. Sicoli fed Rueben Marquez (Williamson, NY/Williamson) who one-time a pass out to Anthony DeFeo (Rochester, NY /Hilton) out on the flank. He sent a service back into the Vassar penalty box that Marquez shot just wide.

Jordan Palmer had a good chance in the 27th minute when he fired a shot from 18 yards out that just was headed for the far post. But, Cinibulk was able to sprawl and turn the shot aside.

With a little over 15 minutes before halftime Vassar was whistled for a handball inside their penalty box. Sicoli calmly stepped up and drilled a shot into the goal for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

The Tigers had a great chance late in the first half when Dean Kouroupas (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) and Sicoli broke in on Lasseur. Kouroupas fed Sicoli who got himself free for a shot, but he sailed it over the cross bar and out of harms way.

Midway through the second half Vassar put the RIT defense under sustained pressure, but the Tigers defense stayed composed and didn't allow the Brewers to get a shot off.
 
Sicoli had a shot that looked to be headed for the top right corner, but Lasseur was able to tip the ball wide to keep it a one-goal game. Jonny Price (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) was in 1-on-1 on Lasseur toward the end of regulation, but his shot went just wide of the post.
 
"It was as big a game as we have played all season long." Said Garno. "This was a huge challenge for us this weekend, and I am really happy for the team how we came out and battled."
 
RIT returns to action on Saturday, October 24 when the Tigers host Liberty League rival Union College at 2 p.m. on the grass at Tiger Stadium.