Box Score The St. Lawrence men's soccer team jumped out to a  2-0 lead in the first half and held on to defeat Hobart 3-1 in a Liberty League match played on the Saints' Sandy MacAllaster Field in Canton, New York, this afternoon.
 
Harry Copeland and Rob Brandell scored first-half goals for the Saints (7-2-0, 1-0-0 Liberty), while Mark Provost added an insurance tally midway through the second half. Statesman sophomore JP White spoiled Sean Houston's shutout bid in the 90th minute with the lone goal of the day for Hobart (5-3-0 overall, 0-1-0 Liberty).
 
Copeland put the Saints in front early in the third minute when he capitalized on a failed clear by the Statesmen defense and beat senior keeper Mike Lucas with a shot into the lower left corner. Classmate Ryan Grant started the play for the Saints with a cross from the far right corner into the box that landed at the feet of a Statesman defender. Copeland, who was pushed up from his usual spot at center back for a set piece, was waiting on the doorstep to collect the ball and give his team a 1-0 lead.
 
Less than six minutes later, Brandell extended the lead to 2-0 when he redirected a pass from Austin Roney inside left post. Provost connected for the third St. Lawrence goal in the 72nd minute with a shot into the top right corner off a feed from Grant, who crossed the ball from along end line to the left of the goal. Chandler Short also assisted on the play.
 
White's goal which came with 30 seconds remaining in regulation on a header that snuck under the crossbar and inside the far right post. Junior Jacob Fox earned an assist on the play. It was White's first goal this season.
 
Lucas played 80:46 and made four stops in goal for Hobart. Junior Tyler Serafine came in for the final 9:14 and finished with two saves for the Statesmen.  Houston made two saves in 90 minutes in goal for the Saints. St. Lawrence finished with a 14-6 advantage in shots, while Hobart held a 6-2 edge in corners.
 
The Statesmen will be back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 30, when they host Ithaca for a non-league game on Cozzens Field at 4:30 p.m.