ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's soccer team picked up a thrilling 2-1 win over Marywood University in the first round of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoffs on Tuesday evening.

Daniel Rival was the hero for the Knights, scoring both goals on the night. Perry Corsetti was solid in goal, making seven saves in the win.

Neumann started fast, registering four shots and two corners in the opening ten minutes of play to set the tone for a strong first half. The Knights' third corner of the half in the 14^th minute would set the stage for the team's opening goal. After Marlon Trejo's initial service was cleared right back to him, the freshman gathered the ball and whipped in an excellent ball to the back post that Rival headed home to put Neumann ahead 1-0. The remainder of the first frame was somewhat even, but neither team would tally again. Shots for the period would finish 11-10 in favor of Neumann.

The Knights looked to add to their lead in the second half, but excellent goaltending kept the Pacers in the game. Neumann looked to double its lead in the 67^th minute off a Jake McDevitt corner kick, but a header from Evan Fahey was just tipped over the bar by the Marywood net-minder to keep the lead at just 1-0.

Needing a goal to tie, the Pacers pushed numbers forward late in the game. The Knights held off a frantic Marywood attack until the 86^th minute, when a corner kick found the head of a Pacers player and into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

Despite conceding the late tying goal, Neumann would rally in the final minutes of play. After a skirmish put the Knights up a man with just over two minutes to play, the team went to work. The 90^th and final minute would see Neumann create two prime chances to score. The team thought it had taken the lead at the 89:13 mark, but a Brady Simon diving header was saved off the goal line by a fantastic stop from the Marywood goalie to keep the game tied.

The match would not remained tied for long though, as Rival came up big for the Knights again. After a ball was headed out of the box by a Marywood defender with just over 30 seconds left to play, Rival took a touch and ripped home a half-volley from 20 yards out into the upper 90 to send the Neumann crowd into a frenzy. The goal would seal the 2-1 win for the Knights, who outshot Marywood by a count of 21-16 on the evening.

Neumann (8-7-1, 5-3-1 CSAC) will have two days to recover before facing off against top seeded Cabrini University on Thursday, November 2^nd. Kick-off time in Radnor has yet to be determined.