COLCHESTER, Vt. - Sophomore Iago Lopez's (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) 82nd-minute goal helped the Saint Michael's College men's soccer team secure a 1-1 Northeast 10 Conference draw with Pace University on Saturday during Senior Day at Duffy Field. The Purple Knights clinched a postseason appearance with the tie.
 
As part of Senior Day, seniors Muntasir Ahmed (Portland, Maine/Bridgton Academy/West Virginia Wesleyan), Jack Andrews (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick), Drew Kull (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland), Jacob Leone (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit), Xolo Miralles (Vinaròs, Spain/IES Leopoldo Querol/Otero), Ryan Noci (Peabody, Mass./Bishop Fenwick), Mikel Penin (Bergara, Basque Country/Ipintza Institutua/Spring Hill), Andres Rincon (Bradenton, Fla./Club Med Academies), Garrett Smith (Gorham, Maine/Bridgton Academy/Bryant) and junior Aliou Cisse (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca), who will graduate in three years, were all recognized pregame.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (7-5-3, 3-3-2 NE10), Pace (6-8-3, 1-5-2 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Lopez, 1 goal
• Cisse, 1 assist
• Penin, 1 assist
• Smith, 5 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Alexander Dutra, 1 goal
• First-year Khais Milligan, 6 saves

GAME FACTS

• Pace revived its men's soccer program this fall after last competing in 1990. The Purple Knights last met the Setters on Sept. 6, 1986, winning 1-0. All three series meetings have now occurred in Colchester.
• Saint Michael's held leads in shots (16-9) and corner kicks (6-3) thanks in large part to second-half advantages of 13-3 and 4-2, respectively.

THE ACTION

• In the 19th minute, first-year Theo Poehlmann chipped a pass over the back line for a charging Dutra, who slipped his shot home to give Pace the lead.
• Smith kept it 1-0 in the 27th minute, diving to his right to deny first-year Ervin Radoncic's bid.
• Andrews nearly leveled the teams in the 67th minute, as his header ticketed for the upper corner while back to the goal was rejected by a leaping Milligan.
• In the 82nd minute, Cisse crossed into the box, where Noci's feign froze the final defender, giving Lopez a clean look at the goal. With only Milligan to beat, he curled a one-touch into the right side for the tying strike. Penin also assisted.
• The Purple Knights ensured the tie thanks to first-year back Liam Weldon's (Essex, Vt./Shattuck-Saint Mary's School) team save in the 87th minute, blocking first-year Thiago Lugo's long bid with Smith out of the play.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Wednesday at American International College, 6 p.m.