BUENA VISTA, Va. - Now on the tail end of their non-conference schedule, the Southern Virginia University men's soccer team used a complete effort to knock off Johnson & Wales 1-0, securing their first win of the season.

While their opponents had the first scoring chance of the day, the Knights responded by pinning the Wildcats in their own end several times.

In the 20th minute, Jacob Nielsen sailed a ball over the heads of Wildcat defenders to find Tate Hickman, the Knights' leading scorer, who attempted to poke the ball past the keeper.

After a big hop, the shot found the center of the cross bar before the rebound was cleared away. However, Hickman was knocked down in the process and was awarded a penalty.

For the third time this season, Hickman found the back of the net on a penalty to secure his fifth goal of the year and the all-important first lead of the game.

In the second half, Southern Virginia wasn't afraid to remain on the attack. They sent 10 shots towards the Wildcats goal and totaled 14 by the end of the day.

Johnson & Wales produced chances of their own, but were stymied by the quality play of Southern Virginia keeper Troy Chamberlain. He made a couple of key stops down the stretch, including a point-blank header off of a corner in the 63rd minute.  

Landon Stock and Dante Leguizamon also looked dangerous on the attack for Southern Virginia, who eventually closed out the visitors with a 1-0 victory.  

Looking Ahead

With the most important portion of the season still ahead, the Knights will travel for their final non-conference road contest of the season on Saturday, September 20th. They'll face Randolph-Macon in Ashland, Virginia, with kickoff slated for 1:00 PM. 

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightmsoccer on Instagram.