ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - After all the effort it took to come back from a 1-0 halftime deficit, it seemed that the Bard College men's soccer team had little left after tying New Paltz, 1-1, on a Nick Shenberger strike from 22 yards on a direct kick in the 59th minute.

The Raptors held off the Hawks during the lull that followed the equalizer, and by the time overtime seemed a possibility, they had regained their legs and were pushing to go ahead.

In an intense game marked by 39 fouls and six yellow cards, it came down to a late mistake in the box, as New Paltz escaped with a 2-1 non-league win over Bard.

The Hawks (5-1) went ahead in the 33rd minute when Tyler Lundgren (Wallkill, NY) ran onto a chipped pass from Jason Gonzalez (Woodside, NY) and beat Bard keeper Daniel Gagne to the left post.

The Raptors (4-2-1) had two excellent opportunities to tie before the end of the half. John Flynn chipped a shot from inside the box just high with the goalie out of position, and David Mamukelashvili's header off a corner kick in the final minute of the half was volleyed off the line by a New Paltz defender.

Shots at halftime were 8-7 in favor of Bard.

Nick Shenberger rifled a shot just over the crossbar less than two minutes into the second half, and he pushed another chance wide just a couple of minutes later. The Raptors were pressuring the ball everywhere and trying to cause turnovers to get that elusive equalizer.

It came in the 59th minute. A foul just outside the box gave Bard a direct kick, and Shenberger bent a shot from 22 yards around the wall and just inside the far post - an impressive strike.

As the minutes ticked away, overtime seemed likely. But in the 87th minute, a ball volleyed into the box was missed by a Bard defender, and it surprised Gonzalez as it landed at his feet. He punched it high under the crossbar on its first bounce, and the Hawks hung on, 2-1.

John Guzzo (Carle Place, NY) made four saves for New Paltz; Gagne made three saves for Bard.

Up next for the Raptors is an even stiffer test: The Liberty League opener against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, ranked No. 15 in the country according to the latest NSCAA poll, on Saturday at 2.

Follow that game via Live Stats or Live Video right here.