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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo State defeated visiting Nazareth by the score of 5-0 in a men's non-conference soccer game on Tuesday evening. The Bengals scored twice in the first half and three times in the second half for the victory.

Following the loss, the Golden Flyers fall to 5-10 overall. Buffalo State improves to 9-8-1 overall with the victory. Nazareth needs to defeat visiting Alfred on Saturday to qualify for the Empire 8 Tournament, November 6th and 9th. Stevens has secured the top seed with a 5-0 conference record. Ithaca and Utica each stand at 3-2 in conference games, while Nazareth and Elmira stand at 2-3 in Empire 8 contests. The top four teams qualify for the Tournament.

C.J. Scirto and Joe Vucic each had two goals for Buffalo State. Francesco Cardillo also scored midway through the second half for the Bengals.

Scirto broke the scoreless tie in the 15th-minute after beating a Nazareth defender to the ball on a pass from Erik Tellgren. Scirto scored his second of the game and seventh of the season in the 39th-minute when he ripped a shot from 30 yards away inside the left post.

After 20 minutes of scoreless action in the second half, Cardillo received a pass from Scirto in traffic, then he chipped the ball over freshman Nate Ripic, who challenged the shot. Vucic added the Bengals' final two goals in a span of 5:16. They were Vucic's first goals of the season. Vucic tallied his first goal on a 15-yard shot inside the left post. On his second goal, he scored after receiving a long pass from Brett Lanham. Vucic beat junior J.P. Horan to the ball.

Ripic played the first 79:14 in the Golden Flyers' net and was credited with four saves and four goals against. Horan relieved Ripic for the final 10:46 and allowed one goal. Michael Moraitis finished with five saves to earn the shutout.

Nazareth finished with a 16-15 edge in total shots and a 5-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities. Senior Luke Elston led the Golden Flyers with five total shots, including two shots on goal. Juniors Christian Kissel and Brian Lang and sophomore Clement Mutambo each added one shot on goal. Graduate student Jimmy Gaffney also had a shot hit the post in the 58th-minute. The Bengals held the Golden Flyers to one shot on goal in the final 25 minutes.

Nazareth's must-win conference game against Alfred is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday at Golden Flyer Stadium.