TEANECK, N.J.- Opportunistic offense and sturdy defense told the story Tuesday night in Teaneck as FDU defeated Lafayette 1-0, ending the Leopards' winning streak of three matches. It was
Eric Dlabal's goal that lifted the Knights and improved their record to 3-1-2 on the year.
Spencer King, yet again, left the opponent searching for answers. The NEC Player of the Week made six saves in route to his third straight shutout and his fourth clean sheet of the season. King's biggest save of the night came in the 71
st minute when he denied a potential go-ahead goal on a penalty kick from Lafayette striker Hale Lombard. While this save kept the score tied, it seemingly helped the Knights tilt the field towards their attacking end.
Helping out King all night was a steady line of FDU defense.
Jeffrey Marquez put his body on the line, contesting and blocking multiple shots throughout the match. In the 47
th minute, he rescued a ball off the line to keep the shutout in-tact.
Chances were few and far between for the Knights offense. In the first half, they were able to muster just one shot, while holding the Leopards in-check. Things, however, started to build for FDU in the 57
th minute. In the span of three minutes,
Jonathan Ghobrial and
Jaime Barbero both fired shots that instantly tripled the Knights' shot total on the night.
In the 66
th minute, Ghobrial received a ball off a tactical combination and eventually earned a free kick for his side right outside of the box. The Leopards went on to clear the attempt.
In the 74
th minute,
Eric Dlabal used persistence to suddenly win a ball in the opponent's box and then beat the goalkeeper with a poised touch. This was Dlabal's second goal of the season and gave FDU a 1-0 lead.
The goal helped FDU sustain some additional positive possession as they tried to march the clock down. Lafayette finally was able to generate some pressure in the 86
th minute with two-consecutive chancse. The ladder chance was thwarted by late substitution
Nk Tima, who blocked a dangerous shot.
The Knights hung on to earn a victory and a third-straight result.
QUOTABLE
"This was a hard-fought win. Lafayette came in on a three-game winning streak, have one of the top goal scorers in the nation, and we were able to shut them out. I'm proud of the way be battled and I'm proud of the way we competed." Said FDU Head Coach
Seth Roland after the game.
Roland remarked on Dlabal's goal that "he came in off the bench and did an excellent job to finish that opportunity."
What's Next
The Knights will travel for another huge tester as they take on nationally ranked Pitt. The game will be aired live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 18th.
