COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's soccer team lost its season finale to The College of Saint Rose, 2-0, on Tuesday evening during Northeast-10 Conference play at Duffy Field. Needing a win to clinch a spot in the eight-team NE10 Championship, the Purple Knights finished in an eighth-place tie with American International College, which won the tiebreaker to claim the No. 8 seed.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (5-6-4, 3-4-3 NE10), Saint Rose (6-6-4, 4-4-2 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Liam Barrett (Saugus, Mass./Malden Catholic/UMass Lowell), 5 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Jose Clemente, 1 goal
• Senior Hilmar Halldorsson, 1 goal
• First-year Leo Dufault, 4 saves

GAME FACTS

• Both teams finished with six corner kicks, while Saint Rose had a 13-10 edge in shots.

THE ACTION

• Clemente put the Golden Knights on the board 4:31 into the contest, heading home sophomore Daniele Bottazzo's cross into the box.
• First-year Marshall Butler (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) nearly pulled the Purple Knights even in the 21st minute, splitting two Golden Knight defenders but being denied when Dufault slid out with his right leg to make a save with his foot.
• Barrett sprawled to his right to stop Halldorsson's close-post bid in the 30th minute, but Halldorsson scored from distance in the 36th minute, sneaking a shot under the crossbar from 25 yards.
• Barrett kept Saint Michael's within striking distance in the 39th minute, diving to his left to turn away Halldorsson's penalty kick.
• Dufault made another sliding save in the 56th minute, this time turning away first-year Ronnie Riby-Williams (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) after his rush through the right side of the box.
• Junior Tyler Santaniello (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) kept it 2-0 by clearing graduate student Lukas Englich's header off the goal line in the 75th minute.
• The Purple Knights were able to put only one shot on goal from there, with sophomore Xolo Miralles' (Vinaròs, Spain/IES Leopoldo Querol/Otero) shot from distance smothered by Dufault.