PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team continued its strong start to State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play, earning a dominant 4-0 victory over SUNY Canton in the Battle of the North Country to remain unbeaten through its first five conference games for the first time since the 2015 season.
The Cardinals entered the matchup following a 1-0 home victory over Oswego and carried that momentum into their contest against the Kangaroos, controlling play throughout the afternoon. Plattsburgh outshot Canton 29-3, including a 16-1 advantage in shots on goal, while earning nine corner kicks and limiting the visitors to zero corner kicks.
Plattsburgh wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as senior Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) found the back of the net in the 11th minute off an assist from senior Xavier Kamba (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack). Just 16 seconds later, Laundree struck again, once more finishing a pass from Kamba to give the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage.
The Cardinals continued to apply pressure, extending their lead in the 17th minute when senior Jacob McGowan (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) scored an unassisted goal to make it 3-0. Plattsburgh carried its three-goal advantage into halftime after limiting Canton to just one shot in the opening 45 minutes.
The Cardinals added their fourth and final goal in the 61st minute, as Laundree completed his hat trick with another finish off an assist from Kamba. The offensive connection between the two proved decisive, with Kamba recording three assists on Laundree's three goals. Defensively, Plattsburgh kept Canton off the scoreboard while allowing just three total shots and one shot on goal.
With the victory, Plattsburgh improves to 7-3-3 overall and 4-0-1 in SUNYAC play, extending its unbeaten start to conference action to five games. The Cardinals will look to continue their strong form Saturday on the road against Morrisville as they continue their conference schedule.
