By Joe Ruby

Contributing Writer

Ross Liberati ’11 and Tommy McCabe ’11 both played a part in each of three second-half goals to help the men’s soccer team beat the host La Salle Explorers 3-1 on Friday night.

Down 1-0 after the first half, the Bison offense went to work. About 13 minutes into the second half, Liberati scored his first goal of the season, and his first since 2008, off a McCabe free kick.

The Bison took the lead 11 minutes later on a goal by Josh Plump ’13. Liberati and McCabe, who began the play with a corner kick, assisted.

Liberati scored his second of the game with an insurance goal 3:12 later, at the 72:23 mark. Luke Joyner ’12 and McCabe assisted.

The Orange and Blue outshot La Salle 20-13 (13-8 in the second half) and gained six corner kicks to the Explorers’ two. Bison goalie Tommy Caso ’12 faced five shots on goal, stopping four, while La Salle’s Kyle Quigley faced 10 shots on goal and stopped seven.

La Salle scored its goal 22:04 into the game when Glenroy Chapman blasted a long shot into the back of the net. The Bison had a number of set pieces in the game—La Salle committed 16 fouls compared to the Bison’s seven—but the Orange and Blue could not capitalize until the second half.

The win for the Bison is their first of the year, bringing their record to 1-1. The last time the Bison lost to La Salle was in 2004; since then, the team has played five games against the Explorers, earning two wins and three draws.

The Bison next travel to State College for this weekend’s Penn State Classic. The Bison will face No. 15 Penn State tonight at 7:30 and will follow with a game against No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday at noon. The Bison defeated the Nittany Lions in the 2008 Penn State Classic, but suffered a 2-1 loss last year in Lewisburg. The Bison last met the Buckeyes at the 2008 Penn State Classic when the teams battled to a 1-1 draw.