Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University men's soccer team opened Northeast Conference play with a 3-0 win against visiting Sacred Heart Friday afternoon at North Athletic Complex. The win is the third straight for the Colonials and pushes their record to 7-5 and 1-0 in league games. Sacred Heart, which was playing its first game in nearly three weeks, slips to 1-5-1 and 0-1 in the  NEC.
 
Much of the first half was played in the midfield with scoring opportunities rare to find, but the Colonials got one in the 43rd minute with a free kick from 30 yards out. Neco Brett took the direct kick and sent a bullet curling from right to left into the top left corner of the net, his ninth marker of the year putting the Colonials on top, 1-0.
 
Despite a first half lean on chances, the Colonials managed to push the margin to 2-0 before the end of the intermission, taking advantage of a corner kick. Keane McIvor sent his kick hard to the near post where Jake Cooper was able to head his second goal of the season inside the near left post.
 
Sacred Heart controlled most of the possession in the second half, winning 11 corner kicks in the final 45 minutes. But Brenden Alfery was able to keep them off the board with five saves, all coming in the second half. Alfery came into the contest second in the nation in saves.
 
The Colonials added an insurance goal in the 84th minute when Corey McCurdy won a ball in the midfield, then sent a square ball out to the left wing to McIvor. He dribbled down the left wing, then cut inside to create just enough room to get off a shot that skirted under Pioneers keeper Tucker Hackett. It was the second goal of the season for the native of Trinidad & Tobago.
 
Robert Morris returns to the pitch Friday, Oct. 16, when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y., for a 4:00 p.m. match at LIU Brooklyn.