DURHAM, N.H. – The LIU Brooklyn men's soccer team put up a strong fight against one of the top teams in the nation Friday night, but a goal in the 77^th minute gave the University of New Hampshire a late lead Friday night, as the #19 nationally-ranked Wildcats beat the Blackbirds, 3-2. Seniors Romario Guscott and Christoffer Bjarre Solbakken scored their first goals of the season in the loss for LIU.
 
New Hampshire got on the board quickly in Friday's game, scoring just 84 seconds into the action, on a rebound from the top of the box. With the home team up, 1-0, the Blackbirds fought back to tie it up nearly 20 minutes later. Seniors Filip Nordström and Ahmad Elfaham crossed the ball into the box from the right end line, where Solbakken was waiting, and one-timed it into the back of the net to tie it up, 1-1. The rest of the half expired with neither team scoring, and the Blackbirds went into the break tied up with the Wildcats.
 
In the second half, a similar pattern followed. Just six minutes into the second half, UNH retook the lead with a goal in the 51^st minute. A strong shot from outside the 18 landed, and the home team had a 2-1 lead. But this time, LIU would answer quickly. Senior Romario Guscott would take a shot less than a minute later. On the goal kick, UNH would turn the ball over, and junior Giuseppe Barone was there. He dished it to the center of the box where Guscott was waiting, and the redshirt senior buried it in the 53^rd minute to tie it up, 2-2.
 
Neither team would manage a shot for the next 20 minutes, but when the home team finally would, it would be the dagger that made the difference. UNH had a corner kick in the 77^th minute, and a shot by the Wildcats was successfully blocked by the LIU defense. But UNH would get the rebound on the shot from 15 yards out, and make it in, giving the home team a 3-2 advantage with less than 13 minutes left in regulation.
 
Though freshman Xavi Verdu had a shot off a corner kick in the 89^th minute, it was saved by the UNH keeper, and the Wildcats were assured the 3-2 win under the lights at Wildcat Stadium.
 
Up next, LIU travels to Burlington, Vermont, to take on the University of Vermont, Sunday, September 2 at 4 p.m.