ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College picked up an important Empire 8 Conference victory tonight at the ACP Athletic Complex, defeating visiting St. John Fisher, the defending conference tournament champions, 1-0 .

"Tonight we defended well as a unit and stayed organized," said Sage Head Coach Matt Esposito. "On attack, we were able to successfully execute our gameplan."

The Gators (5-5-2/1-3-0 E8) got on the board in the 70th minute via an own goal. Sophomore defender/midfielder Sergio Ventura (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood) set up the tally by breaking down the left sideline with a Cardinal defender in tow. His cross, intended for freshman midfielder/forward Joe Piperata (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central), deflected off another St. John Fisher defender past sophomore goalkeeper Jadon Schlierf.

The Cardinals (2-5-2/1-1-0 E8) pushed hard for an equalizer. Across the final 15 minutes, the visitors registered five shots, three of them on goal, and five corners.

Sage junior goalkeeper Nolan Murphy (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) was up to the challenge, making a pair of tough saves late. He totaled seven saves to earn the win (2-3-1). Schlierf stopped five RSC shots in defeat (2-5-2).

Looking ahead, both squads have home games up next. The Gators host Wells on Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Meanwhile, St. John Fisher gets a visit from Utica on Wednesday night. The E8 game is set to start at 7:00 pm.

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