POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Senior forward Eric Brodfuehrer (Tonawanda, N.Y.) picked up the game-winning goal and two assists on two early goals as the Purple Eagles men's soccer team (9-4-2; 3-2-0 MAAC) dropped Marist (3-9-1; 0-4-1 MAAC) 3-2 at Tenney Field on Sunday afternoon.

With the 2-1 lead, Brodfuehrer scored his seventh of the season, scoring on a grounder from five yards out in the 81st minute. The Red Foxes would score in the 89th minute to come within one, but wouldn't come any closer.

Niagara's offensive output today is something that head coach Dermot McGrane sees amazing potential in.

"We didn't do a good job today of finishing the chances we created," McGrane said. "Overall it was a very good performance, but we won't always get that many opportunities to score, so we need to be more clinical in front of the net." 

The Purple Eagles scored twice in the first eight minutes of the game, with sophomore Levi Tesch (Wolcott, N.Y.) notching his fourth goal of the season on a free kick just six minutes in. Two minutes later, Matt Durand (Melbourne, Australia) added his season-high and MAAC-leading 12th goal of the season,  as the ball was played away from the goalkeeper, which Durand fired into the open net.

The Australia native now has a four-game point streak, where he has tallied four goals and three assists for 11 points in that span.

After the two quick goals, play settled in, with both teams trading rushes. Marist came at the Purps hard, taking seven shots in the first half, with only two of them on net. Goalkeeper John Fiutowski (Ottawa, Ont.) stopped both shots as Niagara had the momentum going into the half, up 2-0.

The Red Foxes would find the scoreboard in the 59th minute, as Caleb Shaw scored on a cross from the right side of the field, effectively cutting the Purple Eagles lead to 2-1.

Durand finished the game with a goal and an assist, while Fiutowski made four saves on the day.

With four games left in the MAAC regular-season, Niagara heads home for its two final home games of the season, taking on Fairfield on Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. and Iona on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m.