DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2014) - On Saturday, the LIU Post men's soccer team held off Mercy, 4-3, in East Coast Conference action to capture its seventh-straight win.
 
The Pioneers (11-3-1, 6-1-1 ECC) scored all four of their goals in the first 45 minutes, and the defense was able to stave off Mercy's (3-12, 2-6 ECC) comeback attempt late in the match.
 
Junior midfielder Matias Ruiz (Southampton, N.Y.) opened the scoring for LIU Post. In the 26th minute, Ruiz sent a shot from about 40 yards out with Mercy's keeper out of the net. The ball sailed into the yawning net for the 1-0 lead.
 
Less than two minutes later, junior midfielder Per Forgaard (Stavanger, Norway) got a pass from Ruiz, dribbled through the defense, and beat the keeper for the quick 2-0 advantage.
 
In the 30th minute, Mercy got on the board with its first marker. Danny Leon, Jr. got a pass from Juan Gatti off a corner and converted to cut the LIU Post lead in half.
 
But, the Pioneers weren't done. In the 35th minute, senior forward Eivind Austboe (Stavanger, Norway) corraled a pass from freshman Jason Lampkin (Hawardon, North Wales, U.K.). The NCAA's third-leading active goal-scorer then put the ball in the net with one touch, giving LIU Post a 3-1 cushion.
 
In the 43rd minute, the Pioneers were awarded a corner. After the ball was put in play, Forgaard sent a pass into the box that Austboe connected with for the goal and the 4-1 edge that the green and gold would take into the break.
 
In a first half that was dominated by offense, Mercy outshot LIU Post, 13-10. Junior keeper Jesper Malmstrom (Linkopping, Sweden) was called upon to make four saves in the first 45 minutes of action.
 
The second half was a different story, however. Mercy's offense picked up the intensity, getting off a total of 10 shots in the latter stanza.
 
It wasn't until the 85th minute that the Mavericks would slice into the LIU Post lead. Juan Gatti was sent a through ball from Jonathan Garcia and Gatti converted for his second tally of the match.
 
With time running out, Mubarak Sani added a marker off an assist from Gatti to cap the contest's scoring.
 
Malmstrom made two stops in the second half, setting a new season-high with six total saves.
 
Head Coach Andreas Lindberg and the Pioneers are back in action on Friday (Oct. 31), when they take on Roberts Wesleyan in an ECC battle in Rochester. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.