Kingston, RI - The La Salle men's soccer team (6-6-3, 3-1-1) suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Atlantic 10-rival Rhode Island (6-7-1, 2-2). Jeff Spiker (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) scored the lone goal for the Explorers.

Rhode Island's Steve Mellen had a goal and two assists to lead the Rams to victory. Mellen took a pass from junior forward Jeffery Gonsalves in the La Salle box and headed it in for the first goal of the game at 37:30 to put the Rams up, 1-0.

The same duo would hook up again less than three minutes later as Mellen fed a long pass through the Explorer defense which Gonsalves flicked past the charging  goalkeeper Andrew Bernhard (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) to put the Rams up, 2-0, at the 40:06 mark.

Spiker got the Explorers on the board in the 58th minute, scoring a goal after a scramble in front of the net. Ryan Moseley (Nassau, Bahamas/Queens College HS) and Jim Davis (Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) were credited with assists on the play.

Bernhard made six saves in net. Rhode Island's Dean Ruddy stopped five shots.

La Salle will take on UMass on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.