PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – After a penalty kick goal by senior midfielder Taka Fukushima (Noda, Japan/Municipal Kashiwa) in the 89th minute drew the Cardinals within one, the Plattsburgh State men's soccer team was unable to net the equalizer despite several chances down the stretch, falling by a 2-1 final in its season opener against William Paterson University on Friday afternoon at the Best Western Plus Cardinal Classic at the Field House Complex.
 
With 1:51 left in regulation, junior midfielder Connor Nembach (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) was taken down inside the box, giving the Cardinals a penalty-kick opportunity. Fukushima took the try and tucked it inside the right post to make it a one-goal game. It marked the first career goal for Fukushima.
 
The Cardinals threatened in their offensive third with less than 30 seconds remaining, as senior defender Jack Macchia (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) crossed in a pass to senior forward Alex Price (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) from the left wing, and Price nearly netted a highlight-reel goal, laying out for a bicycle kick from the top of the 18-yard box. His shot caromed off the right post and out of bounds to give the Pioneers a goal kick. William Paterson successfully got the ball down the field and wound the clock down to emerge with the win.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 0-1-0 overall with the loss and wraps up its action at the Best Western Plus Cardinal Classic tomorrow with a 3:30 p.m. match against Springfield College. William Paterson rises to 1-0-0 overall with the win and also concludes play at the Best Western Plus Cardinal Classic tomorrow, squaring off with SUNY Potsdam at 1 p.m.
 
After a scoreless first half, William Paterson capitalized on a failed clearance by the Cardinals to net the first goal of the game in the 49th minute. Junior midfielder Cameron Allen laced in a cross from the left wing to junior forward Keysean Brant-Sharp, who buried the ball into the back of the net with a diving header inside the 6-yard box.
 
The Pioneers added insurance in the 75th minute. Brant-Sharp battled through three defenders on the left side of the 18-yard box before centering a pass along the endline. Senior forward/midfielder Jordan Saling then booted the ball past the goal line at point-blank range.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) kept the Cardinals in the game in the second half, making several saves that had a high degree of difficulty. Wilson finished with six stops, while his counterpart, junior goalkeeper Kyle Quigley, made four saves.
 
William Paterson finished with a slight 14-13 edge in shots and took eight corner kicks to Plattsburgh State's five.

It marked head coach Chris Taylor's first regular-season game at the helm of the Plattsburgh State men's soccer program.