Men's Soccer Blanks Quinnipiac, 2-0, for First Victory of 2010

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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Hartford men's soccer team used two second half goals to propel themselves to its first victory of the 2010 season, a 2-0 defeat of in-state rival Quinnipiac on Tuesday evening at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium.

Junior Andrew Liapis netted his first career goal to get the Hawks on the board in the 53rd minute, and James Stamopoulos sealed the game with his tally 14 minutes later. Hartford improves to 1-2-0 overall, while Quinnipiac drops to 0-2-0.

The Hawks dominated possession for the majority of the match, putting up 14 shots to the Bobcats' seven. The Hawks also held a commanding 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Feeding off the momentum of the first half which saw Hartford hold a 9-2 shooting edge that included three shots on goal, the Hawks managed to get one past Quinnipiac keeper George Ellis just over seven minutes into the second half. Junior Patrick Boucher sent a cross from the left side of the field to classmate Liapis, who was open in front of the box. From about 15 feet out, Liapis sent the ball home at 52:07 for the Hawks' first goal of the game, their first at Al-Marzook Field this season.

Quinnipiac nearly knotted the score a few minutes later however Brett Uttley could not convert on a sharp angle shot from the left of Hartford keeper Jordan Bar. Uttley's shot hit the left post, and the shutout remained intact.

Tuesday marked Bar's first career appearance in goal for the Hawks. With the exception of Uttley's near miss, Bar's defense did a good job of keeping the ball out of the Hawks' zone as the junior earned his first Hartford shutout with two saves.

The Hawks iced the game away with 21:14 gone in the second half. Senior defender Bojan Delibasic laced a centering pass in from the left corner. The ball was deflected out in front of the Quinnipiac goal, where it was corralled by sophomore Stamopoulos and sent straight in point blank range.

Hartford wraps up its three-game homestand with a match up against in-state rival Central Connecticut State on Saturday, September 11. The Hawks and Blue Devils kick off the derby at 7:00 p.m. at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium.

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