BUFFALO, N.Y. – Sophomore Aliou Cisse (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) scored his first career goal and notched his first career assist as the Saint Michael's College men's soccer team defeated D'Youville University, 3-1, at Dobson Field on Friday evening. Junior Xolo Miralles (Vinaròs, Spain/IES Leopoldo Querol/Otero) and sophomore Ronnie Riby-Williams (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) also netted goals for the Purple Knights in the victory.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-1), D'Youville (0-4)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Aliou Cisse (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca), 1 goal (1st career), 1 assist (1st career)
• Junior Xolo Miralles (Vinaròs, Spain/IES Leopoldo Querol/Otero), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Sophomore Ronnie Riby-Williams (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier), 1 goal
• Junior Garrett Smith (Gorham, Maine/Bridgton Academy/Bryant), 5 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Frederick Balmforth, 1 goal
• Sophomore Finn Savage, 1 assist
• First-year Matthew Solorio, 2 saves

GAME FACTS

• The teams squared off for the first time.
• D'Youville held a 17-9 advantage in shots, and both teams took six corners during the match.

THE ACTION

• The Saints had two chances seconds apart in the eighth minute, first when sophomore Ethan Robinson took a shot that was blocked by sophomore Alex Mocarski (Stratford, Conn./Stratford/Penn State Brandywine). Senior Charlie Stewart followed with a shot that Smith saved with a dive to his right.
• Riby-Williams scored the first goal of the afternoon on an assist from Cisse in the 10th minute after Cisse burned the D'Youville back line and found Riby-Williams open for the tap in.
• Smith made a clutch save on a penalty kick in the 17th minute to keep the Saints from equalizing.
• D'Youville found the back of the net in the 43rd minute when Savage sent a cross across the box that found Balmforth at the back post to tie the game.
• Smith made another diving save with 10 seconds left in the half to stop the Saints from taking a one-goal leading heading into halftime.
• Miralles converted on a penalty kick in 49th minute to give the Purple and Gold a 2-1 lead.
• Cisse netted his first career goal in the 52nd minute on a header assisted from Miralles' free kick to give the Purple Knights a two-goal lead.
• The Purple and Gold defense held strong in the home stretch of the game, only allowing two shots in the last 18 minutes of the match.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Sunday at Daemen University, 4 p.m.