PHILADELPHIA - For the second consecutive match, sophomore forward Derek MacKinnon scored the match-winner off of a free kick assist from junior midfielder Matt Crawford as the Saint Joseph's men's soccer squad won its third straight Atlantic 10 contest with a 2-1 road win at George Mason on Saturday evening. With the victory, the Hawks stand at 6-5-1 overall (3-0-0 A-10) while the Patriots fall to 2-7-1 overall (0-2-0 A-10). The win marks the first over George Mason in Saint Joseph's program history.

With nine conference points, the Hawks currently rank first in the Atlantic 10 standings.

Tied 1-1 in the 59th minute and set up with a free kick opportunity, Crawford made a perfectly-timed pass to MacKinnon, who made a strong run in behind the George Mason defense and executed the match-winning score.

Junior goalkeeper Greg O'Connell (6-5-1, 3-0-0 A-10) faced two shots on goal and made the key save in the 80th minute to secure the win for the Crimson and Gray.

"This was a tough game for our team," said head coach Don D'Ambra following the match. "George Mason started the game very aggresively and really tested our back line. They created a few long range shots that were very dangerous. Once we got more organized defensively, the game changed. This was a huge win on the road in conference play."

Saint Joseph's senior forward Mori Diane had put the Hawks on the scoreboard first, in the 23rd minute of play. On a cross from senior defender Mike Stuski, Diane fired his shot into the lower-left corner from six yards out.

George Mason opened the match with five shots in the first 9:43 and added a sixth shot in the 21st minute, none of which landed on net. Diane (15') and Crawford (23') both landed shots on net before leading up to Diane's goal.

George Mason equalized the score on a header off of a corner kick in the 31st minute.

For the match, George Mason owned an 11-6 edge in shots, propelled by an 8-3 advantage in the first half. The Patriots also earned five of the match's eight corner kicks.

Saint Joseph's returns home to host Davidson this Wednesday, October 12 on Sweeney Field at 7:00 p.m.

MATCH NOTES: Sophomore forward Derek MacKinnon scored his second match-winner in as many games... MacKinnon now has two goals on the year and three for his career... Junior midfielder Matt Crawford assisted on his second match-winner in as many games and now owns a team-best 17 points on the year (7g, 3a)... Through three conference matches, Crawford has scored four goals and added two assists... Senior forward Mori Diane scored his second goal of the year and fourth of his career... Diane landed a career-high three shots on goal... Freshman midfielder Ramzi Saim played 10 minutes off the bench in his first appearance since September 24... SJU has now opened the Atlantic 10 season with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2007.