PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team captured its first State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship since 2013 on Saturday afternoon, defeating Cortland in a penalty shootout following 110 scoreless minutes at the Field House Complex. With the victory, the Cardinals claim their ninth conference championship in program history and secure the SUNYAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
Saturday's championship marked another chapter in the historic series between Plattsburgh State and Cortland. The Cardinals entered the contest looking to build on their regular-season victory over the Red Dragons, which helped secure the overall No. 1 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. Historically, Cortland held a 43-23-6 advantage in the all-time series, but Plattsburgh earned its second victory over the Red Dragons this season. The last time the Cardinals defeated Cortland twice in the same season was in 2006.
The Cardinals entered play fresh off a commanding 4-0 victory over Buffalo State in Wednesday's SUNYAC Semifinals. Cortland advanced to the championship after earning a 3-2 victory over Oneonta, setting up a meeting between the conference's top two teams.
Neither side was able to find the back of the net through regulation, as both defenses kept the opposing offenses in check. Plattsburgh recorded five shots in the opening half, matching Cortland's total, while junior goalkeeper Matthew D'Ippolito (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) made three first-half saves to keep the Red Dragons off the scoreboard.
The Cardinals generated additional opportunities in the second half, outshooting Cortland 7-5, but neither team could break through. D'Ippolito continued to provide a steady presence in goal, making several saves as the teams headed into overtime scoreless.
The defensive battle continued through both 10-minute overtime periods, with Plattsburgh recording three shots compared to Cortland's three. Both goalkeepers came up with key stops to preserve the deadlock, sending the championship to a penalty shootout.
In the shootout, D'Ippolito came up with two crucial saves to give the Cardinals the advantage, while senior Xavier Kamba (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack), senior Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) and senior Jacob McGowan (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) each converted their penalty kicks to secure a 3-2 shootout victory.
Following the championship victory, four Cardinals were recognized with SUNYAC All-Tournament Team honors. Kamba, McGowan, and Jack Murphy were named to the All-Tournament Team, while D'Ippolito was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) following his two-save performance in the championship shootout.
With the victory, the Cardinals are crowned SUNYAC Champions, improve to 11-3-4 overall on the season and will continue their postseason run after securing the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
