PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 17 Plattsburgh State men's soccer team took down RPI Wednesday evening, shutting out the Engineers with a 2-0 win. Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) tallied the game-winner while John Hayes (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) padded the lead with his seventh goal of the season.

The Plattsburgh State Cardinals are currently the No. 17 team in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) National Division III Poll.

Laundree picked up his second goal of the season in the 62^nd minute, as Brian Coughlan (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) recorded the assist, while Hayes scored just over seven minutes later to give the Cardinals a two-goal cushion. Teddy Healy (Amityville, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) earned the shutout win as he did not face a shot on goal. The victory was the first over RPI for Plattsburgh since 2006, with four meetings since then.

The Cardinals outshot the Engineers 11-1 on the night and earned six corners to RPI's one. The team was excellent defensively, not allowing the visiting Engineers to get any look or rhythm on offense.

Plattsburgh State moves to 5-0-2 on the season and opens up league play this weekend taking on Fredonia at home on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. The Engineers fall to 2-4 on the season and next take on Oneonta at home on Saturday, Sept. 21.

The first half saw even play through the first chunk of play, with Plattsburgh slowly working to control the ball in their offensive half. In the final six minutes of the half put two shots on goal and had two corner kicks as they began to find their rhythm offensively. The team looked to have a sure lead as a penalty kick was given to the Cards with under a minute to go in the half, but Coughlan's shot was saved to keep the score tied into halftime.

In the second half, the Cardinals quickly earned four corners and had two shots but were unable to break the tie. Finally, in the 62^nd minute, Coughlan was able to start a chance for the Cardinals, taking a ball from behind midfield into the attacking third, forcing the RPI backline to collapse on him. With the defense now focused on him, he put an excellent ball ahead to Laundree on the right side of the 18-yard box, who finished with a well-placed strike into the far corner of the goal.

Hayes added to the Cardinal lead just over seven minutes later, as he won a bouncing ball just outside the six where he was able to control long enough to send a strike into the back of the night. With the goal, Hayes tied his career high of seven goals and is just one point off his career high of 17 points, both marks he set last season. With results still filling in the NCAA tonight, he would likely still find himself within the top 10 in the NCAA for goals, as just three players have eight goals, and one has nine currently.

The Cards were able to control action the rest of the way, as the Cardinal's defensive unit of Coughlan, Randall Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington), Jack Murphy (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee), and Lucas Arbelaez (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Somers) did a lot of excellent work throughout to prevent the Engineers from getting a shot on goal and attempting one in the second stanza.

Colin Such took the loss in goal making three saves in just over 80 minutes of action.