CENTER VALLEY, Pa. ­­– Sophomore Nathan Prex netted his team-leading 18^th goal of the season on Wednesday, as the Lebanon Valley men's soccer team tied DeSales University 1-1 in a conference battle.

Lebanon Valley (10-1-3, 3-0-1 MAC Freedom) and DeSales (5-5-3, 1-1-2 MAC Freedom) were both effective defensively, yielding just a goal each. The Flying Dutchmen and Bulldogs attempted to create offensive opportunities early, but the teams managed to blank each other in the first half. Both programs then put a tally on the board in the second stanza, prompting the game to end in a stalemate. 

The Dutchmen and the Bulldogs put on a defensive showcase during the first half, keeping the game scoreless through the opening 45 minutes. DeSales was aggressive offensively in the stanza, taking 14 total shots with seven attempts on goal. Lebanon Valley managed to hold the squad in check, as senior goalkeeper Dalton Fitterling saved all seven shots that came his way. The senior also made a clutch save on a penalty kick with just one second left in the half, preserving the score. 

The Flying Dutchmen tried to generate some scoring chances during the half as well, taking four shots and a pair of shots on goal. LVC's first shot on goal was taken 3:03 into the contest by sophomore Aidan Smith. Sophomore Nathan Prex also sent a shot towards the net 29:26 into the game. Despite these attempts, the programs were tied at 0-0 entering halftime. 

The squads continued to keep each other off the board at the start of the second half, until Lebanon Valley opened the scoring 64:15 into the game to take a 1-0 lead. Coming off a free kick taken by senior Connor Given, Prex sent a header into the left of the net to put the Dutchmen ahead. The Bulldogs then evened the score 4:56 later, tying things up at 1-1 on a goal by Bryan Flor. 

Both programs attempted to go ahead in the remaining 20:49, as the Dutchmen took three shots, and the Bulldogs registered a pair of attempts in this stretch. Graduate student Lucas Strange contributed to these offensive opportunities, recording a shot with just 3:32 to play. Ultimately, neither team found the net in the final minutes, resulting in a 1-1 tie. 

Inside the Box Score:

• Lebanon Valley remained unbeaten in MAC Freedom play with the draw. 
• Prex scored his team-leading 18^th goal of the year. He also led the squad with four shots, including two attempts on goal. 
• Given was credited with the assist on Prex's goal.
• The Dutchmen took a total of 11 shots during the game. 
• Fitterling made nine saves in the contest. 
• LVC recorded six corner kicks.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will return to action at 4 p.m. Saturday, as the program will host King's College for Senior Day at Herbert Field. 

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