ST.DAVIDS, Pa.-- Josh Martin's unassisted tally in the 63rd minute turned out to be the only goal of the game as Eastern University Men's Soccer held off a late charge from the visiting Rutgers-Camden side to earn a hard-fought non-league win. Matt Lieg entered the game at half to secure the win in goal.

Neither team mounted many threats in the opening period, but the visiting Scarlet Raptors (4-2) held a 6-1 edge in shots at the break. Many of those shots came on ambitious long-range attempts. Eastern starter Jon Crowder made a single save. Rutgers-Camden best chance of the opening frame came on a corner in the 17th minute that Mitch Grotti nodded toward the left post. The powerful shot beat Crowder, but Braden Gross was on the line to clear the ball from danger.

Crowder left at the intermission with injury and Lieg stepped in. The junior keeper was met almost immediately with a flurry of dangerous crosses and long throws into the box. He did well to hold a ball in traffic on a long throw in the 60th minute and knocked another pair of serves from danger.

Martin scored by running through a bouncing ball in the box. His first touch went toward goal and came right back to him on an attempted clear by Rutgers-Camden goalkeeper Tim Van Liew. He took the ball off his body and directed his next touch into the middle of the empty goal for his first strike of the season.

Head Coach Mark Wagner spoke in candid terms about Martin's tally.

"It was not pretty," he said, "but it was exactly what we needed. Josh just got after it and ran through the ball. There's nothing prettier than that. It was a big goal and result for our team."

The Eagles would get only one more shot on the afternoon, but the defense held strong in front of Lieg. For the final ten minutes, the visitors threw caution to the wind and sent numbers into the attack, and the Eagles absorbed pressure and defended. Eastern started the game without several regulars in the line-up, and called upon every player to defend.

First year back Ben Barnhart made the play of the game in the 87th minute on another long throw into the box. Alec Dritsas volleyed a bouncing ball toward goal that Barnhart took off his chest and cleared away.

Lieg made his only save of the half in the 89th minute on a shot from close range. Today's game was Eastern's first game this year that did not go to overtime. Today's win over a side that won the ECAC Metro Championship last year is the second win, to go with a win over South Champions Stevenson earlier this year, over an ECAC Champion.

The Eagles (3-2) return to action on Saturday at Cabrini College for the Battle of Eagle Road. That game begins at 6:00 pm.

Box Score