The No. 7 St. Lawrence men's soccer team's bid for a Liberty League championship came up just short on Sunday afternoon as the Saints fell to Vassar, 1-0, in the conference title match at Sandy MacAllaster Field in Canton, N.Y.
The Saints moved to 11-2-4 on the season, while the Brewers improved to 8-5-6 and secured the Liberty League's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Making their first appearance in the Liberty League Championship match since 2024 and hosting the final for the first time since 2022, the Scarlet and Brown controlled much of the action throughout the afternoon but were unable to solve Jacob Raphan, who finished with nine saves and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament.
The Saints came out on the front foot in the opening half and generated a flurry of chances. Senior
Nicholas Petrone put a shot on target in the 11th minute, while
Sammy Bothwell,
Grant Gilmer, and
Baker Diaz all tested the Brewers' defense during a busy opening 45 minutes.
St. Lawrence continued to apply pressure as the half progressed, earning four corner kicks and holding a 10-7 edge in shots, but neither side was able to break through before halftime.
The Brewers struck quickly after the restart.
Just 54 seconds into the second half, Eli Torrey slipped a pass to Zapp Hotz, whose finish gave Vassar a 1-0 lead. The goal proved to be the difference in the match.
The Saints immediately looked for a response and nearly found one minutes later. Petrone forced a save in the 49th minute, and St. Lawrence continued to generate sustained pressure in the attacking third.
As the half wore on, the Saints continued to create opportunities.
Cam Moyers put a shot on frame in the 59th minute, Petrone forced another save in the 68th minute, and Bothwell tested Raphan again in the 81st minute as the Brewers worked to preserve the lead.
St. Lawrence continued to push numbers forward in the closing stages and earned six second-half corner kicks. The Scarlet and Brown finished the afternoon with advantages in shots (23-11), shots on goal (9-2), and corner kicks (10-6), but could not find the equalizer.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Zach Amato made one save for the Saints, while Jacob Raphan turned away all nine shots on target he faced to record the shutout.
The championship appearance marked the Saints' first trip to the Liberty League final since 2024, when St. Lawrence battled Vassar to a scoreless draw before falling in penalty kicks. The Scarlet and Brown were also hosting the championship match for the first time since defeating Skidmore, 3-1, to win the 2022 Liberty League title.
Despite the result, St. Lawrence enters Selection Monday ranked No. 7 in the nation with an 11-2-4 record and will await its fate in the NCAA Tournament selection show tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., streaming on NCAA.com.
Â
