ALFRED, NY -- The Alfred University men's soccer team took it to SUNY Geneseo in a 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon at Yunevich Stadium.

In the penultimate home game of the regular season, AU gave spectators a treat. For the first time all season, the Knights of Geneseo dropped points in Empire 8 Conference play, moving to 9-4-2 overall and 7-0-1 in E8 play. Meanwhile, Alfred earns a crucial point to go 4-7-3 overall, and 2-4-3 in conference play.

After a tame 45 minutes saw the teams go into the break scoreless, both of them turned up the heat. Three separate Saxons recorded shots, including Hamza Kromah (Margibi, Liberia/Western Reserve Academy) who opened the scoring in the 58th minute off a brilliant feed from Juan Jose Menendez Gutierrez (Villanueva Cañada, Madrid, Spain/Woodstock Academy) who also had three shots. Xavier Bowman (Hampstead, MD/Manchester Valley) also had three shots to wrap up the third Saxon to complete the same feat.

AJ Giaquinto (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) also had two shots from the back line and commanded a tough Geneseo offense. He and the Saxons defense was put behind the eight ball with two goals in two minutes from the Knights.

But AU kept on fighting. Just 16 seconds after SUNY Geneseo took the lead and just after coming onto the pitch, Christian Martinez (Grand Prairie, TX/South Grand Prairie) delivered a brilliant ball into the box from the near sideline. Menendez Gutierrez got his head on it and put it in the top corner to even the score right back up. The Spaniard finished with a goal and an assist on the afternoon.

The Saxons had opportunities to both win and lose the match, and instead fought tooth-and-nail for a big point in the draw. With only two more E8 games to go against fellow playoff-contending foes, AU will look to clinch their spot in the tournament - perhaps with a collision course with the SUNY Geneseo Knights once again.

But first, one final home match at Yunevich Stadium will come against non-conference opponent SUNY Delhi on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.