HAVERFORD, Pa. (September 13, 2017)  – Russell Nicholson's goal in the second minute proved to be the difference as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team tell fell at No. 8 Haverford College, 1-0, Wednesday evening in a non-conference match.

The Fords earned back-to-back corner kicks within the first 90 seconds of the match. Michael Carr headed Nicholas Montgomery's corner towards the net, but junior Aaron Henry deftly avoided trouble, swatting away the attempt. The ensuing loose ball was redirected multiple times before Nicholson headed the ball into the net.

Down a goal, Stevens was able to put pressure on Haverford in the second half, earning four corner kicks over a three-minute span, but senior Jacob Ulasevich hit the crossbar and Jeremy Astesano saved senior Patrick Boylan's header to earn a clean sheet.

Henry made nine saves for the Ducks, who fell to 3-3. Astesano made a pair of saves for Haverford, who improved to 4-0-1.

Pivotal Point

• Putting Stevens on its heels from the opening whistle, Haverford's aggressive play led to two corners in the opening 90 seconds.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens outshot Haverford 14-13, including a 13-6 edge in the second half.
• Conversely, the Fords held a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.
• Each team took eight corner kicks.
• Each team committed 14 fouls.
• Ulasevich fired a match-high four shots.

Unsung Hero

• Freshman forward Cristiano Hocken was an offensive threat throughout the match, creating many chances for himself and his teammates. Although the New Providence, New Jersey native was only credited with two shots, Hocken had numerous runs when afforded the opportunity and was able to find open teammates with crisp passes.

From the Sidelines

• "We came out slow and got punished by a nationally-ranked team."
• "[The] second half was much improved. We created a lot more chances and applied a lot more pressure on Haverford."
• "Excited for conference action to start on Saturday again the reigning Empire 8 champs."

Up Next

• Stevens welcomes St. John Fisher to the DeBaun Athletic Complex for its Empire 8 Conference opener.
• The Ducks downed the Cardinals, 2-0, in the regular season, but St. John Fisher defeated Stevens on penalty kicks in the E8 Semifinals.

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