GENEVA, N.Y.— Sophomore Max Parent's (Yarmouth, MA) first career goal late in the first half found the back of the net on a shot right from the left side and the goal stood up as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team won its ninth opener in 11 seasons under head coach Greg DeVito, 1-0, over host Hobart College on the first day of the Hobart College Soccer Alumni Classic at Cozzens Field.

Parent's game-winning goal off a pass from sophomore Nick Starkowski (Marlborough) came in the 39th minute on an unsettled situation after a corner kick.

The Warriors almost made it 2-0 late in the first half. Sophomore Sam Hurlburt (Cornwall) had a one-on-one with Hobart junior goalie Alec Kaminer.  Hurlburt attempted to evade Kaminer and then just got a shot off, but Kaminer got a hand on it immediately to deny the chance.  

The 1-0 victory follows a 2016 season when the Warriors won just one of six matches decided by that score during a 6-10 campaign.

The Statesmen finished with a 17-7 advantage in shots, but All-Little East keeper Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) stopped four shots to post his ninth full shutout in 37 career starts.

Eastern faces SUNY Cortland Sunday at 1 p.m. A third-round NCAA competitor last year, Cortland edged Brandeis University, 3-2, in Saturday's second game. The Judges reached last year's NCAA Division III Final Four. Eastern and the Red Dragons will be meeting for the first time.