OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team picked up a crucial road State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win Friday afternoon, defeating Oswego State, 2-1, at Laker Turf Stadium.
 
The Cardinals have now won three straight and are fifth in the SUNYAC standings with six points. Plattsburgh State rises to 5-4-2 overall (3-1-0 SUNYAC) with the win and visits No. 18/24 SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 4 p.m. Oswego slips to 3-6-1 overall (0-4-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
Senior defender Amani Francois (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) scored his first goal as a Cardinal in the 41st minute to open scoring. Francois, who netted 11 markers during his three years at the College of St. Joseph (Vt.), headed the ball into the back of the net in a scramble off of a corner kick taken by sophomore midfielder Cameron Richards (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck). Richards, who was credited with the assist, earned his first collegiate point.
 
Plattsburgh State entered halftime with a 1-0 lead on the strength of Francois' goal, and both teams entered the intermission with five shots. The Cardinals held a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks through 45 minutes of play.
 
Oswego tied the score in the 52nd minute, as freshman defender/midfielder Ryan Young scored from the top of the 18-yard box. Young tried to play the ball into the box from the right wing, but a Cardinal defender denied the pass and sent the ball back out to the top of the 18-yard box. Young then regained control and curved a shot into the left upper 90.
 
Junior forward Jimmy Marchena (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) netted the eventual game-winner in the 64th minute. He dribbled around a Laker defender on the right wing and took a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that took an odd bounce and ended up going past the goal line inside the right post despite a diving effort by the Oswego goalkeeper.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a 10-9 edge in shots for the game in addition to outgaining Oswego in corner kicks, 7-3.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) made two saves in the victory for the Cardinals, while sophomore goalkeeper Brian Terra turned aside two shots in the loss for the Lakers.