ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team put forth an exceptional effort on Wednesday, tying the No. 15 ranked Oneonta Red Dragons 1-1 in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. Despite being a man down the entire second half, the Cardinals put together an outstanding defensive effort to hold their opposition scoreless over the final 45 minutes.

Brian Coughlan (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) collected his team-leading sixth goal off a free kick in the 32^nd minute to put the Cards up 1-0. After going a man down just before halftime, Teddy Healy (Amityville, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) and the Plattsburgh defense were berated with shots but held strong, as Healy made three saves and moved his record to 6-2-5 on the season.

Plattsburgh now stands at 7-2-5 overall and can clinch a SUNYAC Playoff Berth with a win on Saturday, Oct. 21 when they take on Geneseo at 12 p.m. Any other result would likely leave the Cardinals on the outside looking in for the top six spots. The 15th-ranked Red Dragons move to 12-2-1, earning their first tie of the 2023 season, and next play Buffalo State on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The game action began slowly for both teams on Wednesday, with only four total shots between both squads before the 30^th minute. In the 32^nd minute, the Cardinals earned a free kick just outside the goalie box, setting up a free kick for Plattsburgh. Coughlan set up for the kick and took a low-line drive shot to his right, as the ball beat an outstretched arm of the goalie to the corner of the net for the goal. With six goals this year, Coughlan is only two of his career-high from last season, which he set primarily playing forward, while this year he has primarily played at center back.

Over the next 13 minutes, the Red Dragon offense found themselves getting some chances, taking three shots and putting one on goal before the end of the half. In the 43^rd minute, Oneonta earned a corner kick, and a ball was put into the box where a shot found the arm of a Cardinal player. This gave the specific Cardinal his second yellow, which transitions straight to a red, as in one play Plattsburgh went a man down and also set a penalty kick for the Red Dragons. Oneonta's John Bernardi converted on the kick, tying the game with just two minutes before the end of the period.

Coming out of halftime, it was clear the Cardinal strategy was to rely on their strong defense down a man and play most of their attackers back further than usual. This was clear in the large shot discrepancy, as Oneonta outshot Plattsburgh 12-1 and earned nine corners while the Cards had none. Still, Healy and the defense made it very difficult for Oneonta to get good looks, as they only put four shots on goal over the entire game, and only two in the second half. Despite the number of opportunities, the Red Dragons weren't able to take advantage and put significant pressure on the Cardinal keeper, resulting in the 1-1 tie.

For Oneonta, Jax Flugel earned the tie making one save in goal. Adrian Matute led the team with five shots, while four different players registered a shot on goal.