PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Freshman defender
Michael Grald (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) netted his first collegiate goal, helping the Plattsburgh State men's soccer team tie rival SUNY Oneonta, 1-1, following regulation and two overtimes in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Friday afternoon at the Field House Complex.
The Cardinals now sit in a tie for fifth in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) standings with Buffalo State with 10 points.
While Oneonta held a 25-13 edge in shots, just five of those attempts wound up on frame. Plattsburgh State finished with a slight 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Plattsburgh State moves to 5-5-3 overall (3-2-1 SUNYAC) with the result and next hosts SUNY New Paltz tomorrow at 1 p.m. on Senior Day. At halftime of tomorrow's contest, the Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018 will be honored. Oneonta moves to 7-3-4 overall (4-1-2 SUNYAC) with the result and next visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
A staple in the Cardinal starting lineup all season, Grald finally hit pay dirt in the 69th minute for his first collegiate goal. Freshman midfielder
Alex Alejo (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) served a ball through the air to senior midfielder
Taka Fukushima (Noda, Japan/Municipal Kashiwa) on the right wing, and Fukushima sent a cross in to the center of the 6-yard box. Grald then proceeded to lay out for a diving header and beat the Red Dragon goalkeeper at point-blank range.
Oneonta countered at 74:43, as sophomore midfielder Roberto Ventura found the back of the net for the fourth time this season. With Plattsburgh State trying to clear the ball out of its defensive third, a Red Dragon offensive player changed course with a hard pass down to freshman forward Jeremy Pantoni on the left side of the 18-yard box. Pantoni then sent a low cross to Ventura, who deposited a left-footed strike inside the near post.
In the two overtime periods, only one shot was put on frame, which was a well-struck ball from Oneonta's senior midfielder Nicholas Plate just outside of the 18-yard box that sophomore goalkeeper
Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) turned away.
Wilson made four saves in goal for the Cardinals, while senior goalkeeper Nicholas Giordano turned aside three shots in net for the Red Dragons.
