NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara men’s soccer team battled back from a goal down, to tie Siena, 1-1, on Sunday afternoon at Niagara Field. Niagara is now 2-7-2 (0-2-1 MAAC), while Siena sits at 4-6-3 (1-2-1 MAAC).

"This was a hard-fought game by both teams," head coach Dermot McGrane said. "I was pleased with the effort put in by our players today. I think we had the better scoring chances in the game, and a bounce here or there could have changed the result in our favor."

Niagara nearly scored a little more than 10 minutes into the game when freshman Levi Tesch (Wolcott, N.Y.) hammered a 20-yard shot that missed the right corner by a matter of inches.

Siena capitalized on a bobbled shot at the 13:10 mark and that Saints’ Joseph Tempone was in the right place to finish the rebound.

The Purple Eagles kept up the offensive pressure and nearly tied the game just before halftime. Sophomore Latim Bitek (Rochester, N.Y.) sent a cross into the box that found the head of junior Matthew Durand (Melbourne, Australia). Durand did well to get on top of the ball, but his header bounced just wide of the far post.

Niagara dominated the first few minutes of the second half, nearly equalizing five minutes in when junior Billy Gustafson (Rochester, N.Y.) got his head on Kauble’s corner kick, but his header snuck just wide. NU finally found the back of the net at the 52:27 mark when junior Miles Patterson (Landsdale, Pa.) pounced on a rebound and lasered a shot that beat Siena’s Steve Skoniecany. Junior Stephen Kauble (Canal Winchester, Ohio) picked up the assist after his initial shot was blocked, providing Patterson with the rebound and his first goal in a Purple Eagle uniform.

The Purple Eagles continued to press and their best chance to take the lead came in the 57th minute after a clever passing sequence. Patterson dribbled up the flank and cut in toward the box where he passed to Tesch, who flicked the ball behind his leg past the defender and into Patterson’s path. Patterson had the goalkeeper beat, but his shot pinged off the post.

With the two teams deadlocked at a goal apiece, the game went into overtime and Niagara again had a solid opportunity to win the match in the first minute when junior Zach Scholla (Angelica, N.Y.) got his head on a Tesch corner kick but missed the net.

In all, Niagara outshot the Saints, 30-17, and earned seven corner kicks to Seina’s two.

Niagara leaves the friendly confines of its home field for its first MAAC road series when it faces Iona (Oct. 19) and Fairfield (Oct. 21).