BRUNSWICK, Maine - Weller Hlinomaz scored the game's only goal early in the second half to lift the top-ranked Amherst College men's soccer team to a narrow 1-0 win over Bowdoin on Saturday at Pickard Field.

In a matchup between the defending national champs (Amherst) and defending NESCAC champions (Bowdoin), the Purple & White improve to 2-0-0 (1-0-0 NESCAC) while the Polar Bears fall to 1-1-0 (0-1-0 NESCAC).

Game Highlights

• The teams traded good chances in a back-and-forth scoreless first half
• Sam Ward has Bowdoin's best opportunity ten minutes into the game with a shot from just outside the box that was saved by Amherst's Lee Owen
• Stevie Van Siclen returned the favor in goal for Bowdoin, making five first-half saves, including a diving stop off the foot of Bryce Ciambella with just two minutes remaining before the break
• Amherst continued to pressure the Bowdoin goal early in the second half and finally coverted off a throw-in less than two minutes into the frame
• A long throw in from the sideline deflected off a Bowdoin defender's head and into the middle of the penalty area where it bounced between legs to the foot of Hlinomaz, who toed the ball past Van Siclen at 46:27
• Bowdoin tried to mount a rally but couldn't find the equalizer despite holding a 3-0 edge in corner kicks in the second half
• Amherst's Owen finished with five saves, including three in the second half, while Van Siclen ended with nine in the setback for Bowdoin

Up Next

• Bowdoin will look to get back into the win column on Tuesday when they face Southern Maine in Gorham at 4:30 p.m.
• Amherst will return to action next Saturday with a match at Middlebury at noon.