ONEONTA, N.Y. – The second-seeded Plattsburgh State men's soccer team is looking to win its ninth State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title on Saturday, Nov. 9, when they visit top-seeded SUNY Oneonta in the SUNYAC Tournament championship match at Red Dragon Field at 1 p.m. 

TICKET PRICING: General admission tickets are $5, while tickets for children ages 5-12 are $3. Children ages four and under and students from SUNYAC schools with valid identification will be admitted free of charge.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES: Plattsburgh State is 10-31-3 against Oneonta all-time. The teams last met on Saturday, Oct. 26, when the Cardinals lost 3-0. Oneonta's Witman Hernandez scored for the Red Dragons in the 23rd minute. The score remained 1-0 until the last 10 minutes of the match when Oneonta added two more goals to make the final score 3-0. Jeremy Pantoni scored in the 84th minute and Hernandez scored his second goal of the day in the 87th minute.  

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State (11-7-0) reached the championship game by defeating third-seeded Buffalo State 2-0 in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Field House Complex. The match was scoreless until the final 10 minutes when junior defender Luke Rapaport (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland) scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute. Sophomore defender Andrew Braverman (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) struck a free kick from the far-left wing into the box, and freshman forward Alex Graci (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) got a head on the ball before a sliding Rapaport kicked the ball into the net. Senior forward Chris Robertson (Thiells, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional [N.J.]) added insurance to the Cardinals' cause in the 89th minute. Rapaport blasted a ball from Plattsburgh State's defensive midfield to just outside the top of the 18-yard box in the Cardinals' offensive third. Robertson beat a Buffalo State defender to the ball, flicked a shot from the left side of the box over the head of the goalkeeper and the ball rolled into the net inside the far post. 

Plattsburgh State, which is averaging 1.83 goals per game, has received goals from 11 different student-athletes this season. Nine Cardinals have scored at least two goals, including Robertson and freshman forward Devin Lambe (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Beacon), who are tied for the team lead with six goals each. Freshman forward Cole Weiner (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown) is third in goals scored with five.

The Plattsburgh State defense, which features Braverman, Rapaport and senior defender Joe Gula (New Market, Md./Oakdale), has recorded eight shutouts on the season. The Cardinals have recorded shutouts in seven of their last eight matches, including their 2-0 win over Buffalo State in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday. Plattsburgh State has limited its opponents to two goals or less in 16 of its 18 matches played this season.
 
In goal, junior Patrick Feeley (Harriman, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) has played to a 4-1-0 record with 29 saves, a 0.60 goals against average, a .906 save percentage and four shutouts in five starts. Feeley made seven saves to earn a shut-out victory in the victory over Buffalo State in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals. Junior Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) has played to a 6-6-0 record with 42 saves, a 1.48 goals against average and .700 save percentage in 12 starts.

ABOUT THE RED DRAGONS: Oneonta enters the championship match with a 16-2-0 record and ranked No. 10 nationally. The Red Dragons are on a four-match winning streak, including a 2-0 home win over fourth-seeded SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Hernandez provided the Red Dragons with all of their offense – scoring in the 73rd minute and the 82nd minute.    

Oneonta, which averages 2.83 goals scored per game, is led in goals (22), assists (10) and points (54) by Hernandez.

In goal, Nate Hanna has played to a 10-1-0 record in 12 games played, while Scotti Francesco has a 6-1-0 record in seven matches. Hanna has garnered seven shutouts on the season.

WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of the SUNYAC Tournament gains the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.