Lakewood, N.J. - In its first game as the No. 1 team in the country, the Adelphi University men's soccer team defeated Georgian Court University, 4-0, in a non-conference match Tuesday at Investors Savings Bank Field in Lakewood.

The win improves the Panthers to 4-0 overall, while the Lions fall to 0-4. Three of GCU's four losses this season have come against opponents that have been ranked No. 1 at the time.

Georgian Court had a few early chances in the first half against Matt Apicella, but it was Adelphi that broke through for the game's opening goal in the 18th minute.

Senior forward Aidan Keenan played a nice touch across the top of the 18-yard box to Paolo Marciano, who fired a shot past the outstretched arms of Lions' senior keeper Yianni Kavarakas to put the Panthers on the board first.

Adelphi, which took that 1-0 lead into halftime, pulled away in the latter 45 minutes of play.

Despite being outshot 13-8 in the second half, the Panthers exploded for three unanswered goals in a four-minute span to seal it.

It was Filippo Peri and Marciano that scored just 1:23 apart to build AU's lead to 3-0. Nearly three minutes after Marciano's second goal of the afternoon, senior forward Taylor Kaczynski got on the scoresheet with his second tally of the season.

Apicella collected his first shutout of 2019, stopping five shots in the effort. Freshman Daniel De La Heras came on for the final 8:19 and made his first two collegiate saves.

The Panthers are back in action Saturday (Sept. 21), when they open Northeast-10 Conference play against Le Moyne College at 1 p.m. at Ted Grant Field in Syracuse, N.Y.