SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer team allowed a goal to start the second half against Bryant and fell 1-0 on the road despite some quality chances in the closing minutes of play.
 
After a scoreless first half, the Bulldogs (8-6, 5-3 NEC) scored in the 50th minute to take the lead, but the Knights (6-7-2, 2-3-2) made a late push with four chances in the game's final 10 minutes. Freshmen Jared Dillon and Peter Kozlej each created clean looks at goal and lined hard shots on target in the match's last two minutes, but Bryant goalkeeper Will Swart came up with saves on both shots to hold the Knights off the scoreboard.
 
Each team was held to three shots on goal, with FDU junior goalkeeper Jahmali Waite making two second-half saves. The Burgundy and Blue totaled 12 shots to Bryant's nine in the contest.
 
Redshirt senior Daniel Lasarte fired the game's opening shot in the seventh minute high of the crossbar, and the Knights defense denied Bryant any scoring chances through the first 12 minutes. Junior Diego Arribas, the reigning NEC Player of the Week, then drilled a shot from 25 yards in the 16th minute that was dipping sharply but not enough before it crossed over the goal.
 
Kozlej continued the offensive pressure with a shot that ricocheted off a Bryant defender in the 20th minute. The Burgundy and Blue defense also continued its solid play in the first half, only allowing two off-target shots by the Bulldogs in the game's first 30 minutes.
 
FDU created the best scoring chance of the half in the 38th minute when Arribas crossed a ball from left to right and connected with Lasarte for a header, but the redshirt senior's shot went right into the arms of the Bryant goalkeeper.
 
The two teams entered halftime knotted at zero, but each side came out of the break putting pressure early on the backlines. Bryant's Trevor Lyne, however, was able to strike for a goal in the 50th minute to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.
 
Waite made saves on two more Lyne shots shortly after the goal, and freshman Ville Ahola then worked his way through the Bryant defense to create a shot but had it blocked. The Knights were later awarded a free kick from 20 yards out in the 62nd minute, but Arribas' ensuing shot missed high of the goal.
 
Shots from Anthony Herbert and Ideal Shefqeti also missed their marks in the 75th minute, but FDU's best chances came with less 10 minutes to go. Arribas missed just over the crossbar and Lasarte fired a line drive shot wide right with nine minutes left. Arribas again helped set up another chance, this time crossing into middle to find Dillon, but his touch on the ball was deflected out of bounds.
 
FDU kept pressing for an equalizer in the closing minutes, but a Dillon left-footed shot on goal with two minutes left and a right-footed strike from Kozlej in the final minute were both saved by the Bryant goalkeeper as the Bulldogs held on for the win.
 
Despite the loss, the Knights (8 points) remain just two points behind Robert Morris (10 points) for the fourth playoff spot in the NEC with two games remaining, with the Colonials also losing their match to LIU on Friday. FDU next plays Sunday at Merrimack at 2 p.m., before closing the regular season the following Sunday against Mount St. Mary's at University Stadium at 1 p.m.