Potsdam, N.Y - A late second-half goal stood as the decider as the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team dropped a 1-0 contest to nationally ranked Hobart College, Saturday afternoon. 

The loss puts the Golden Knights at 5-3-2 overall, 2-2 in the Liberty League. A week of preparation is on the docket coming up, the team returns to action October 11th, travelling to Annadale-on-Hudson to face Bard College. 

Hobart jumped out on the front foot, rattling off two quick shots in the 12th minute, where Will Slayton and Quinn Phillips were both denied by Carter Kladstrup to keep the game level. A series of ill-placed fouls by the Golden Knights led to the best chance of the first half for Hobart. Phillips took control of a free-kick from 22 yards out, drilling a right-footed shot towards the bottom right corner of the goal that seemed destined to end up in the netting before being met by the outstretched right arm of Kladstrup, parrying the ball over the end line and out of play for a corner. The lone shot of the half for the Knights came off the boot of Lars Stephensson who was unable to find the target as both sides headed into the break in a deadlock. 

The second half got off to a similar start as the first with Phillips again testing Kladstrup early on in the 55th minute, a shot that was again collected by the senior. Clarkson earned their first corner of the contest soon after in the 62nd minute when a ball down the right wing was pursued by two players and ended up deflecting off a Hobart defender and over the end line. The ensuing kick sent in by Daniel Medina found the head of Zach Shufelt but the shot was sent over the bar and out of play. 

Hobart would finally find the breakthrough they desired in the 78th minute directly following a throw-in. The throw, taken by Slayton in the attacking third, managed to bounce several times through the Clarkson penalty box without being dealt with before falling to Daniel Spataro at the back right post. The attacker took one touch to settle the ball before driving a left-footed shot into the Clarkson goal for 1-0. 

An off-target shot from Brady Leitner in the 82nd minute was the extent of the goalmouth action for both sides through the remaining 22 minutes of the match as Clarkson resorted to flighted long-balls over the Hobart backline but struggled to make a connection in the final third to find the equalizer. 

Both teams combined for just 13 shots over the 90 minutes with Hobart finding the target with eight of their 11 compared to two off-target attempts from Clarkson. Kladstrup would make seven stops while Tommy Chyzowych would not face an attempt for the Statesmen.