GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. - The Neumann University men's soccer team opened Atlantic East Conference play in emphatic fashion on Wednesday evening, earning a 5-0 road win at Gwynedd Mercy University.
 
Freshman carried the day for the Knights in the win, accounting for all five Neumann goals. Sam Clavijo paced the Neumann attack on the evening with a pair of goals, while Connor Ryan chipped in a goal and an assist. Jon Yinger and Anthony Carpinella also each tallied their first career goals in the win.
 
Eager to open conference play strongly, the Knights dominated the contest from the opening whistle. Alex Duopu nearly got the scoring started in just the second minute, but his screamer of a shot rattled the crossbar as the game stayed 0-0. It would not stay that way long though, as Neumann broke through with the match's first goal in the 5^th minute. A Corey Madigan pass from the right flank found its way to Clavijo at the top of the box and the freshman forward turned and buried a low shot into the side netting to make it 1-0 in favor of the Knights.
 
The floodgates would open from there, as the visitors added three more markers over the next 20 minutes. Yinger was next up in the scoring barrage, banging home a close-range effort off a beautiful Eddie Proud cross from the right end-line to make it 2—0 in the 17^th minute. Connor Ryan headed home his second goal of the season in the 24^th minute off a well-struck Chris Siemien corner to make it 3-0, then followed his goal up with an assist on a brilliant second goal from Clavijo in the 28^th minute that found the upper-90 of the right corner. The game would head to halftime with the score 4-0 in favor of the Knights.
 
Neumann continued to press in the second half, but despite a 13-0 shot advantage in the frame, the Knights could only record a single tally. The goal came in the 81^st minute as an outstanding ball from the right flank off the foot of Jake Kuzmick found a streaking Carpinella in the box for a diving header to make it 5-0 for the visitors. The Knights would close the door from there, clinching the comfortable victory to open conference play in style.
 
Neumann (4-8, 1-0 Atlantic East) will have the weekend off before returning home for another conference matchup versus Centenary University on Tuesday, October 12^th. Game-time is scheduled for 4:00 PM.