The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's soccer team dropped a tough 2-1 decision to Roberts Wesleyan College in an East Coast Conference battle at Spartan Field. Chris Estaves netted the lone STAC goal but 2-5it did not prevent the hosts from dropping to 2-5 overall and 0-2 in ECC play, with the Redhawks improving to 3-2-1, 2-0-0.

STAC played a solid first half, outshooting RWC by an 8-2 margin, but neither team was able to hit the mark as the contest remained scoreless at the break. Estaves changed that with his first collegiate goal at the 59:40 mark, as his shot from a tough angle near the goalline couldn't be cleared of the line by a lunging defender, giving the Spartans a 1-0 advantage.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, they were to suffer their second straight tough loss after Dowlling rebounded for a late victory last Saturday. Scott Carson took a nice feed and just slid his shot under a diving Sean Connolly in the STAC net, tying the score with just 5:29 remaining on the clock.

Roberts would maintain the momentum, as a scrable in the penalty area resulted in a golden opportunity for the visitors with only 1:18 to play in regulation. Connolly guessed correctly on the penalty kick but was not able to prevent Malcolm Shaw from scoring what proved to be the decisive goal. STAC held a 15-10 edge in shots, with Connolly credited with four saves in absorbing the tough loss.

The Spartans will be back in action on Sunday, September 27, when Daemen College visits Spartan Field for another ECC match-up. Kickoff time is set for 3:00 pm, as the back half of a double-header with the women's teams starting at noon.