Zach Amato came up with three saves on the day, but it was not enough as the St. Lawrence University men's soccer team fell 2-0 to the No. 9 Middlebury Panthers on Tuesday afternoon in Middlebury, Vt.

St. Lawrence fell to 0-4 with the loss, while Middlebury improved to 2-0-1.

"Hard-fought battle against the number nine team in the country," said head coach Mike Toshack. "The team, despite the loss, took another step forward today as we build for the start of the Liberty League. Looking forward to playing SUNY Canton on Saturday."

Middlebury came out aggressively, firing three shots in the opening 13 minutes, all of which were turned aside by Saints goalkeeper Amato. The Panthers broke through in the 14th minute, however, when Keagan Harder capitalized on sustained pressure to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

St. Lawrence responded with a push of its own, nearly equalizing when Jeremy Ogango targeted the lower corner, but Middlebury keeper Joey Waterman made a key save to preserve the lead. Ryan Campbell and Nicholas Petrone each had attempts blocked later in the half, sending the game into the break at 1-0.

Chances were limited in the second half, with both teams struggling to find the frame. Dennis Argueta had a look for the Saints but sent his shot high. Middlebury sealed the win in the 84th minute when Ari Klayman found the back of the net to make it 2-0.

The Panthers held statistical advantages in shots (8-4), shots on goal (5-1), and corner kicks (8-2). Amato finished with three saves for the Saints, while Waterman stopped the lone shot he faced.

St. Lawrence returns to action on Saturday, September 13, with a short trip across town to face SUNY Canton at 3 p.m.