NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 12 Hamilton College on Saturday afternoon in NESCAC action at Silfen Field.

The Camels found themselves in a 2-0 hole after 80 minutes of play and spent the final 10 trying to dig out. A goal by Augie Djerdjaj (Mahopac, N.Y.) provided a spark in the 84th minute, and Conn created several dangerous chances down the stretch but couldn't pocket the equalizer.

John Reidy (Fairfield, Conn.) and Luke Ehrenfreund (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored goals for the Continentals, who remained unbeaten on the season at 7-0-1 overall (4-0-1 NESCAC). Goalkeeper Ben Ziegler (Bexley, Ohio) made five saves in the contest, four of which came in the final 15 minutes.

Hamilton got on the scoreboard in the 40th minute on a header by Reidy for his first goal of the season. Griffin Weidner (Charlotte, N.C.) set up the play with a cross from the right sideline, finding Reidy for a flick from just outside the goalie box.

Less than a minute later, Djerdjaj nearly answered back for Conn, but his blast from outside the 18 sailed just wide of the left post. Instead, the Camels found themselves trailing 1-0 at intermission.

In the second half, goalie Peter Silvester (Smiths Parish, Bermuda) did his best to keep the Camels in the game. In the 71st minute, Ehrenfreund picked a defender's pocket and had an open look from the top of the box, but Silvester made a sprawling stop to keep the deficit to one. Minutes later, Pandelis Margaronis (Bethesda, Md.) put a shot on goal from distance that required another diving save from the Conn keeper, who finished with four saves.

Ziegler got his chance to make a big stop in the 78th minute in a sequence that began with a free kick from the left sideline. After the ball was twice cleared from the box by the Hamilton defense, Marco Cerezo (Malaga, Spain) took a touch to bring the ball down just outside the 18, and then blistered a low shot on goal that Ziegler turned away. The ensuing rebound was then put on frame by Elliot Spatz (Bellevue, Wash.), but a defender kept it out of the back of the net.

Ehrenfreund gave the Continentals some breathing room with a goal off a free kick in the 81st minute. With Conn setting up its wall just inside the 18, Ehrenfreund took a shot that clipped off a defender and bounded into the back-right corner of the goal.

Down by two, the Camels stayed focused and went to work on the offensive end. Less than a minute after the Hamilton goal, Djerdjaj was denied on an attempt from the top of the box. However, he got his goal in the 84th minute, following up a shot by Spatz that tipped off Ziegler's fingertips. The tally was his team-leading fourth of the season.

Conn kept pressing but couldn't produce the equalizer. The Camels' best chance came with five minutes remaining on a throw-in from the left sideline. After a header put the ball in a dangerous spot in front of the goal, Spatz connected for a shot from point-blank range that was turned away by Ziegler. Moments later, Jorge Mendo (Zaragoza, Spain) took a crack from inside the box that went high.

Conn College (3-2-2 overall, 1-2-1 NESCAC) will take a break from conference play to host Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, October 4 at 4 p.m.