PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – An electric second half from the No. 21 Plattsburgh State's men's soccer team came up just short in a non-conference match against No. 5 St. Lawrence University on Tuesday evening at the Field House Soccer Complex, as the Cardinals fell, 2-1, in overtime to their North Country rival.
 
After a first half in which St. Lawrence outshot Plattsburgh State, 7-1, and held a 1-0 lead, the Cardinals bounced back in the second stanza, taking 13 shots to the Saints' four while producing the equalizing goal. Plattsburgh State began setting up quality offensive chances in the second half, and the Cardinals finally broke through in the 60th minute. Senior forward Alexis Archilla (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) and sophomore forward Alex Price (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) sprinted forward on a counterattack, and Archilla crossed the ball over to Price across the six-yard box. Price then received the ball and hammered it past the Saints' goalkeeper for his team-leading fifth goal of the year.
 
St. Lawrence turned the tables with energized play in the first overtime period, and with 43.9 seconds left on the clock, the Saints finally produced the game-winner. Following a foul and a stoppage of play, senior midfielder Noah Bunton crossed the ball in off of a set piece from 35 yards out. The ball landed amongst a cluster of players within the 18-yard box, and following a deflection, sophomore midfielder Jethro Dede scored from point-blank range by the left post to end the contest.
 
Plattsburgh State suffered its first loss of the season in the setback, falling to 7-1-0 overall. The Cardinals will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, Sept. 24, when they visit another North Country rival, SUNY Potsdam, in their State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener at 1 p.m. St. Lawrence rises to 7-0-0 with the win and opens up Liberty League play at home against Hobart College on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 3 p.m.
 
The Saints got on the board in the 22nd minute, as sophomore defender Brendan McNamee collected a rebound off a blocked shot by sophomore forward Tapshak Augustine and blasted the ball into the back of the net. That wound up being all the offense produced during the first half of play, as St. Lawrence entered halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a slight edge in both shots (14-13) and corner kicks (7-6).
 
Junior goalkeeper Andrew LaClaustra (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) shouldered the loss for Plattsburgh State, making two saves, while freshman goalkeeper Jackson Schierbeek turned aside four shots in the victory for St. Lawrence.