Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University men's soccer team fell short against a nationally-ranked opponent Saturday night, losing 3-1 to No. 24 Le Moyne College in its 2021 Northeast-10 Conference opener at Motamed Field in Garden City.

As a celebration of Pride awareness and the United Soccer Coaches' "Play for Pride" initiative, the team donned rainbow-colored laces on their cleats and wristbands during the match.

Both teams played a very up-tempo first half, with very few whistles getting in the way.

While Adelphi (1-3-1, 0-1 NE10) and Le Moyne (4-0, 1-0 NE10) each registered five shots in the first 45 minutes of play, the Dolphins had the lead at halftime at 1-nil.

A giveaway by Filippo Peri in the midfield led to a counter, in which Michael Sparkes streaked down the left flank and beat Harry Beasley to the lower right corner on the visitors' first shot of the contest.

Aidan Keenan had the best opportunity to tie it just before the half. A soft attempt with his left foot from the top of the six in the final seconds got swallowed up by Le Moyne's keeper, Josh Mahr.

The Dolphins would double their lead only minutes into the second half on a strike from distance by their leading goal-scorer, Robert Rohrhirsch.

Adelphi hadn't been put away though.

In the 63rd minute, a hard cross from Tommy Speed found its way into the box, where a touch from a defender's foot sent the ball beyond Mahr's reach to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Over the next 20 minutes, the Panthers outshot their opposition 7-0, but to no avail. Three shots never made it through towards goal, while Rodrigo Descalzo Rocca and Benji Jones were both denied by Mahr.

Le Moyne put it away in the 86th minute, when -- with Adelphi forward and looking for the game-tying goal -- Beasley came well out of net and Noah Sperduto finished into the unguarded mesh.

Head Coach Gary Book and his Adelphi squad hit the road next week for two games, starting Wednesday (Sept. 22) for a 7 p.m. match under the lights at University of New Haven in West Haven, Conn.