RADNOR, Pa. - The Neumann University men's soccer team opened up its Atlantic East Conference title defense on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Cabrini University.
 
Ainsley Reid was the hero for Neumann on the evening, scoring the game winning goal in the 62nd minute. Seth Walker picked up his third shutout of the season in the win, stopping six shots in goal.
 
In a rematch of last year's conference championship game, both teams came out flying in a fast-paced and physical opening 45 minutes. The Cavaliers used set pieces and long throw-ins to generate the game's best early chances. Neumann cleared two redirected headers off their own goal line, each time thanks to Brady Simon. The visitors created their best chance late in the half when Johan Silvestre's solid strike on a free kick from 20 yards out forced a diving save from the Cabrini goalkeeper. Despite the chances, the game would head to halftime knotted at 0-0 with the hosts holding a 6-4 edge in shots.
 
The Knights would ratchet up the pressure to start the second stanza. Dominating the opening twenty minutes of the frame, Reid broke through with the game's lone tally in the 62nd minute. After an excellent individual effort from Matt Sengphachanh on the left flank, the junior forward served a ball into the box that found its way to Reid, who toe-poked the ball past the Cabrini keeper to put the Knights in front 1-0.
 
Neumann needed a solid defensive performance for the final 28 minutes to seal the win. The back line of Daniel Rival, Matt Brown, Zach Desrosier and Mitch Yeakley was excellent down the stretch to keep the Cavaliers at bay. When the hosts did create offensive chances, Walker was there to bail the Knights out. The freshman keeper made his best save of the game in the final five minutes of play, denying a header off a corner kick to preserve the shutout and give Neumann its first conference win of the season. The victory at Cabrini was the team's first away win over the Cavaliers since the 2011 season.
 
Neumann (3-7-1, 1-0 Atlantic East) gets back to Atlantic East action on Saturday afternoon for a Homecoming matchup versus Marywood University. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM.