The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's soccer team rode a first-half goal from Daouda Kone and a shutout by goalkeeper Nathan Mangione to a 1-0 shutout on Wednesday. It was their first victory at the new Spartan Field. With the non-conference victory, the Spartans improve to 1-1-1 while St. Rose suffered its first defeat of the season, falling to 2-1-0.

Sweltering heat was the story of the day, as both teams battled through 90 degree temperatures in a sluggish first 15 minutes of play. STAC would be the first to break through, however, with Jack Legg and Ethan Evans combining to feed a wide-open Kone, who would tap the ball into an open net for his first goal of the season.

Both teams struggled to generate offense in the oppressive weather, with few stellar scoring chances being generated by either side. Saint Rose did generate some offense in the second half in pushing for the equalizer, and the Golden Knights enjoyed an 8-4 edge in corner kicks. In the end, it was Mangione standing tall, making five saves en route to his first shutout.

After playing their first three contests of the season at home, STAC will enjoy a week off before hitting the road to our Nation's Capital, opening their East Coast Conference schedule against University of District of Columbia on Wednesday, September 18.  They will then travel to face Mercy on September 21, before returning home to take on Briarcliffe on September 24.