LOUDONVILLE, NY – The resiliency of a team that has competed for over a month without a win was finally rewarded on Saturday afternoon, as Siena Men's Soccer returned home following a tough four-match road trip. The Saints (1-6, 1-1) used a decisive second half to claim a 3-1 victory over MAAC foe Saint Peter's (1-5-2, 0-2) at Hickey Field in Loudonville, New York.

After battling two high-major powers, two ranked squads, and opening conference action on the road, the Green and Gold came out and got on the board first, with junior Zach Gardner crushing a top shelf shot off a pass from freshman Ben Biton in the 17^th minute. The Peacocks answered just minutes later, with Tom Climpson putting away a top shelf header in the 27^th minute.

In a match which featured a combined six yellow cards and 22 fouls, the Saint re-took possession of the lead for good early in the second half thanks to a pair of first-time scorers. Making on his second collegiate start, sophomore Jasper Paez put the Saints ahead in the 50^th minute off a strike in the box from Gardner. Freshman Carl Melin capped off a pass from senior Bilal Hersi for his first collegiate strike in the 64^th minute to give Siena more goals in the contest alone than it scored in its first six combined.

The home squad held a 15-9 shots advantage despite Saint Peter's registering more than one corner kick, with Gardner leading the way with four shots and sophomore Magnus Saaby adding three. Freshman Bennet Glinder shined in-between-the-pipes, making three saves including a diving stop on a ball in traffic near the conclusion of the match that preserved the two-goal lead.

Siena will head back out on the road for three of its next four contests, beginning with its closer to non-conference play at Providence on Tuesday, October 3 at 7 PM.