Alfred, NY- The Alfred University men's soccer team opened their spring season with a 3-0 loss to Nazareth College on Sunday from Yunevich Stadium. The Saxons begin their season with a 0-1 (0-1 Empire 8) overall record, while the Golden Flyers sit with a 1-0 (1-0 Empire 8) record.

First-year midfielder Sai Baraka (Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney) recorded the sole shot on goal for the Saxons. Sophomore forward Justin Eaton (Williamson, NY/Williamson) and first-year forward Henry Smith (Manassas, VA/Lancaster) each forced two shots. First-year goalkeeper Daniel Koenig (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) finished with seven saves.

"I'm proud of our guys for playing the full 90 minutes," said Head Coach Tracy Blake. "We made some mistakes when it came to giving up our three goals, so we need to work on that."

First-year Cooper LaValley led the Golden Flyers with two goals. Sophomore Dylan Rippe finished with one goal to go with one assist.

The Saxons held a strong defensive front to begin the game, rejecting Nazareth's first six shots of the game. Two consecutive goals from the Golden Flyers later in the half sent Alfred into a 2-0 deficit at the break. An additional goal from Nazareth to open the second half prevented the Saxons from making a comeback.

"We'll continue to play hard from start to finish," said Blake. "We have a talented roster, but it's about eliminating the mistakes that we made."

The Saxons will travel for their first road game of the spring season against Utica College on Friday at 4pm.