CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University men's soccer team won a non-conference game at St. Thomas Aquinas College, 2-1 in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field. The Cougars complete the regular season with a 12-5 record for the most regular-season victories in the program's 24-year history. The Spartans fall to 7-7-3 on the season.

St. Thomas Aquinas got on the scoreboard first with a goal by Julius Werner in the seventh minute. Four minutes later, freshman defender Martin Djikanovic (Podgorica, Montenegro/Slobodan Skerovic) tallied his first collegiate goal off an assist from freshman midfielder Sam Odell (Walton-On-Thames, England/Heathside School) to tie the score at 1-1. Then in the 54th minute, sophomore Noah Pederson (San Jose, CA/Archbishop Mitty) found the net with an assist from junior defender Evan Marques (Linden, NJ/St. Joseph's) for a 2-1 lead. The goal, which was Pederson's second of the season, proved to be the game-winner, as the Cougars kept the Spartans from scoring the rest of the way.

Junior goalkeeper Michael Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) made seven saves in goal for Caldwell, while freshman Fritz Meister (Flaach, Switzerland) played the final 28 minutes and was not required to make a save. Nicholas Palumbo recorded three saves for St. Thomas Aquinas.

The win is the 12th of the season for Caldwell, which had 11-win regular seasons in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. The program record for the most victories in a season is 13, set by the 2004 squad that finished 13-8-2.

The Cougars begin play in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 4 against Chestnut Hill College, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Caldwell Field.

CU – 1 1 – 2
STAC – 1 0 – 1
Scoring Summary: 1. STAC – Julius Werner 5 (Alejan Coyt-Orozco), 6:28. 2. CU – Martin Djikanovic 1 (Sam Odell), 10:30. 3. CU – Noah Pederson 2 (Evan Marques), 53:20.
Shots: CU – 11; STAC – 15
Saves: CU – Michael Hartmann (62:25) 7, Fritz Meister (27:35) 0; STAC – Nicholas Palumbo 3
Corners: CU – 7; STAC – 8
Fouls: CU – 3; STAC – 11
Offsides: CU – 8; STAC – 4
Cautions: CU – Blankenstein (75:54); STAC – Coyt-Orozco (76:18), Child (77:00), Bench (90:00)
Ejections: CU – None; STAC – Coyt-Orozco (82:45), Child (90:00)