Defense by goalkeeper Borja Angoitia and forward Demba Sylla helped the Bobcats stay in the game, while William Cavallo kept Loyola (Md.) out of it.

Angoitia stopped four shots, Sylla made an improbable save and Cavallo scored the game-winning goal, as Quinnipiac defeated Loyola 1-0 Saturday at Quinnipiac Soccer Field.

Cavallo charged down the right side of the field, looked for the pass and nailed it into the upper-right corner of the net in the 53rd minute for a 1-0 lead.

Angoita stopped all four shots in the second half of the match after Cavallo’s goal.

“The biggest test for our guys today was how we react after we score,” Quinnipiac head coach Eric Da Costa said. “We spent the last 10 days working on that, and I think the boys definitely answered the call today.”

Defense was the difference-maker for Quinnipiac (2-3), as several blocked shots prevented Loyola (5-2-1) from even coming close to scoring – including one early in the first half.

Sylla, a freshman forward, stole the show with a kick save in front of a wide open net after Angoitia was caught out of the area.

“Demba’s a committed kid who sacrifices everything he has for the team,” Da Costa said. “He stepped up and did really well, he got the call today and his performance speaks for itself.”

Kyle Wittman recorded six saves for Loyola.

Quinnipiac had several chances to put the game away after Cavallo’s goal, yet the Bobcats weren’t able to score. Will Daniels and Nils von der Heide each took shots late in the second half but Daniels’ shot went wide and Wittman stopped Von der Heide’s shot.

The Bobcat’s start Northeast Conference play Friday at 3 p.m. at home against Bryant.

“When we come into Friday we’ve got to approach it the same way,” Da Costa said. “It’s a game where we need three points. We need a good result, and we’ve got the confidence to go in and get the three points.”