BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU men's soccer team won a hard-fought shootout at home Wednesday afternoon, beating La Salle 3-2. With the win, the Sharks move to 3-2-1 on the season.
 
The two teams had a combined 32 shots, and the three goalies made 10 saves throughout the game, in a well-matched slugfest.
 
La Salle got on the board in the first half, when a cross skimmed off a defender's head and into the net. The Sharks negated the own-goal five minutes later, when sophomore Emil Jaaskelainen scored. Freshman Alan Martinez had a shot from the right side, and La Salle's goalie made a diving save to stop the ball. But Jaaskelainen was there, and hit the deflection right back into the net, evening it up, 1-1.
 
Eleven minutes later, the visitors retook the lead, scoring from the top of the box to make it 2-1. And again, LIU had an answer just minutes later. This time, a free kick at the top of the 18 proved to be all that was needed, as Robert Winkler rocketed the ball past the wall of defenders and the keeper to the left corner to knot it up, 2-2 heading into the halftime break.
 
In the 59th minute, LIU was able to go up for good. Jaaskelainen had the ball at the top of the box, and had a pass through the defense to where freshman Matthias Heiland was waiting. He shot it off the outside of his right foot into the corner of the net, and the Sharks had a 3-2 lead.
 
The Explorers never let up, pressuring LIU's defense down to the last second, but LIU held on to the lead, eventually taking the non-conference win, 3-2.
 
Up next, LIU hosts Columbia, Saturday, September 18 at 3 p.m.