PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team kicked off their 2025 season on a high note, earning a 2-0 road victory over Manhattanville College on Thursday evening.

The opening 45 minutes were marked by a tightly contested defensive battle, with both teams registering four shots, but struggling to create clear scoring opportunities. Quality chances were limited as both back lines remained strong, as the goalkeepers went largely untested.

The Cardinals found their breakthrough in the 64th minute. After drawing a free kick just outside the top of the box, junior Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) stepped up and calmly buried the set piece to give Plattsburgh a 1-0 lead.

Laundree was involved again in the 75th minute, as the junior squared a pass across the face of goal, finding senior Santiago Vargas (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage), who slotted home the Cardinals' second goal of the match to seal the win.

Sophomore goalkeeper Matthew D'Ippolito (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) made the most of his second career start, earning his first collegiate win and shutout. D'Ippolito was composed between the posts, finishing the match with three saves to keep Manhattanville off the scoreboard. The Cardinals narrowly outshot the Valiants 13-12, using a strong second-half performance, both offensively and defensively, to pull away and secure the season-opening victory.

With the win, Plattsburgh opens the season at 1-0 and will return to action tomorrow, hitting the road to take on Ramapo at 2 p.m.