MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College men's soccer team put forth a gritty effort in their Conference of New England (CNE) opener but came up just short in a 2-1 loss to Gordon College on Saturday afternoon at Walter M. Katz Field. The defeat drops the Colonels to 1-4-1 overall and 0-1-0 in league play, while the Fighting Scots improve to 3-1-1 (1-0-0 CNE).

The first half was dominated by Gordon, with the visitors firing eight shots and forcing Curry goalkeeper Justin Ritz into several key saves. Ritz stood tall, collecting six saves on the day, and helped keep the match scoreless through the opening 45 minutes. 

The game opened up late in the second half. Gordon finally capitalized in the 76th minute when Andrew Lazich buried an unassisted strike to give the visitors the lead. Just three minutes later, Lazich struck again, this time finishing a feed from Nathan Starzl to double the Scots' advantage.

Curry refused to go quietly, answering less than a minute later. Sophomore midfielder Aidan Auclair found space and converted an unassisted tally in the 80th minute, pulling the Colonels within one. The goal marked Auclair's first of the season and injected energy into Curry's attack.

The Colonels pressed for an equalizer in the closing minutes, earning multiple corners and testing the Gordon back line. Shaloom Bakinahe had a late header sail high, while Bradlee Sorensen and Watts each fired attempts in the final stretch. Gordon's defense, anchored by goalkeeper Riley Calemmo, held firm to secure the 2-1 victory.

Gordon finished with a 19-7 edge in shots, while Curry produced six of their attempts in the second half. Ritz's six saves kept the Colonels within striking distance throughout.

Curry now shifts their focus to their next matchup which is on the road Wednesday afternoon at Regis College.