DEFIANCE, Ohio – Sophomore Nicholas Dey scored the game's only goal as the Earlham College men's soccer team moved one step closer to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament berth with a 1-0 win at Defiance on Tuesday.

Earlham put the pressure on early earning two corner kicks in the first minute. The Yellow Jacket defense would eventually surrender what proved to be the game-winning goal when Dey scored his ninth of the season in the 10th minute.

Defiance (6-10-1, 2-5-1 HCAC) held a slight 8-7 edge in shots, but it was Earlham who put two shots on net while the Yellow Jackets failed to test Quaker goalkeeper, freshman Nicola Manni, a single time.

Dey fired three of Earlham's seven shots with four other Quakers each taking one. As a team, Earlham earned five corner kicks compared to four for Defiance.

Earlham is now in prime position for a postseason berth with one game remaining. The Quakers clinch a spot in the HCAC Tournament with a win or draw against Franklin on Saturday. Earlham also gets into the tournament if the Grizzlies fail to beat Manchester in a game kicking off at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

The Quakers now stand at 8-6-1 on the year and 5-2-1 in HCAC competition. The final game of the regular season takes place against Franklin on senior day (Saturday). Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.