Box Score ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The warmups were over, the starting lineups had been announced, and the anthem had been played. The two teams tied for last place in the Liberty League men's soccer standings took the field, and what followed wasn't completely unexpected.

Clarkson and Bard played with desperation, hunger, passion and grit. Both teams were looking for their first league win of the 2013 season, and Bard was looking for its first league goal in two years.

Bard got its goal but Clarkson got the win, prevailing 4-1 in a game that was closer than the final score might indicate.

The Golden Knights (3-9 overall, 1-4 Liberty League) got on the board early, when a turnover in the box gave Kurt Knolle (East Aurora, NY) an easy flick into the net from close range for a 1-0 lead in the third minute. And Clarkson made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Alex Vozzella (Boston, MA) ran onto a bouncing pass on the right wing and volleyed a beautiful shot over the hands of Bard keeper Daniel Gagne, off the bottom of the crossbar, and in.

The Raptors (2-13, 0-6 Liberty League) hung in there, however, and it paid off in the 37th minute. A corner kick from Christian Letourneau when right through the box and across to the right wing, where it was collected by Tamaki Chiba. Chiba chipped a cross in front and Orson Fry, who had entered the game less than a minute earlier, headed it in to cut the Clarkson lead in half.

It was Bard's first Liberty League goal since Oct. 15, 2011, when Letourneau - who was then a sophomore - scored in the 89th minute to tie a game at RIT that the Raptors eventually lost in overtime. Fry's tally broke a streak of 15 straight scoreless Liberty League games for Bard.

Clarkson immediately responded to Fry's goal, earning a penalty kick at the other end less than 30 seconds later, but Gagne made a diving save to his right to stop the PK from Trevor Blackwell (Pittsford, NY), and Bard carried some momentum into halftime, down 2-1.

Bard had the better of the play early in the second half and a couple of terrific opportunities to score, but it didn't happen. One of the best opportunities came in the 53rd minute off a direct kick from 30 yards by Austin Higgins, but Alex White (Unadilla, NY) got a fingertip on the bending shot and nudged it over the crossbar.

Eventually Clarkson started to make things happen on the counterattack as Bard became more desperate, and Angelo DiFrancesco (Penfield, NY) made it 3-1 in the 74th minute, collecting his own rebound after a blocked shot. In the final minute, Tucker Wilcox (Broadalbin, NY) made it 4-1 on another counter and the game was over.

White made seven saves for Clarkson.

Gagne made eight saves for Bard.

The Raptors will host the top team in the Liberty League - 10th-ranked St. Lawrence University - on Saturday at 2. It will be the final home game for Letourneau and Vitor Neto Carvalho. Follow it via Live Stats here.