PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team closed out its regular season on Saturday afternoon, battling to a 1-1 draw with Buffalo State in a match with major postseason implications. The result secured the Cardinals the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SUNYAC Tournament, setting up a home quarterfinal matchup against Fredonia next weekend.

Coming off a dominant 6-0 victory over Potsdam that clinched a playoff berth, the Cardinals entered the contest seeking a win to lock up the No. 2 seed and earn a first-round bye. Meanwhile, Buffalo State, unbeaten against Plattsburgh State since 2019, needed just a draw to hold the second position.

The Cardinals controlled much of the first-half possession, dictating the pace but struggling to generate clear scoring chances early on. The Bengals capitalized on their lone opportunity of the half in the 38th minute when Diego Rivera, the SUNYAC's leading goal scorer, headed home a corner kick to give Buffalo State a 1-0 lead. Despite outshooting the Bengals 5-1 in the opening frame, Plattsburgh State entered halftime trailing 1-0.

Needing at least a draw to avoid dropping to the No. 5 seed, the Cardinals came out firing in the second half, ramping up offensive pressure in search of the equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 61st minute when junior Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) threaded a pass through to classmate Xavier Kamba (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack), who slotted home the finish to level the score at 1-1.

Plattsburgh State continued to push forward in the final stages, creating several promising chances, but the Bengals' defense held firm to preserve the draw.

With the tie, the Cardinals move to 10-2-5 overall and 5-2-2 in SUNYAC play, securing the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. They will now host Fredonia in the SUNYAC quarterfinals next weekend at the Field House Complex.