The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team battled valiantly today against a solid Wheaton (IL) College squad today, but came up on the short end of a 3-2 score in overtime in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III tournament in Kansas City, Mo.  With the loss, one of the most successful seasons in the history of the men's program comes to a close with an overall record of 21-1-2.
 
The 21 wins this fall is a program record along with its 23-game unbeaten streak that they carried into today's match.
 
"I am so proud of the way our guys played from the opening whistle," said Coach Iain Byrne.  "To be down early in the game, our guys showed why we deserved to be here.  We played our game and the result could have easily been in our favor"
 
Coach Byrne is referring to a goal by freshman Cory Santangelo (Sayville/Sayville) that was waived off by the referee with five minutes remaining in the match.  Santangelo got his foot on a ball that was apparently ruled in the possession of the keeper after he had kicked into the goal.  The referee and the linesman conferred and he waived it off ruling that the keeper had both hands on the ball.
 
Byrne commented on the call after the game saying that, "You could tell by the reaction of the Wheaton players that they thought it was a goal as well.  It's just so tough to take."
 
The game ended in the 104^th minute on a goal off of a free kick after a foul was called on Oneonta just outside the left side of the box.  Noah Anthony took the kick and chipped a ball over the top where a charging Stephen Golz got his head on it and sent it to the back of the goal.
 
In the postgame conference junior captain Dylan Williams (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) talked about his team.  "I am so proud of the way we played today.  The one thing I can say about our team this year is that we are all brothers and we played for each other out there."
 
Oneonta made the most of its limited opportunities in the opening half of play.  The Red Dragons were outshot 11-4, but took a 2-1 lead into the break.
 
The Thunder took a 1-0 lead in the 16^th minute of play when Anthony converted a penalty kick after a yellow card was given to sophomore Anthony Passiatore (South Setauket/Ward Melville).  Passiatore made a great sliding tackle that knocked the ball away inside the box, but was ruled as a hard enough foul by the referee to warrant a card.  The goal capped a sustained attack by the Thunder that started in the ninth minute and included five shots overall.
 
Oneonta keeper Vincent Pellegrino (Baldwin/Baldwin) made three stops in the opening half including two during the pressure by Wheaton.  Pellegrino finished the game with four saves overall.
 
The Red Dragons got the equalizer in the 30^th minute when Jake Sutherland (Syracuse/West Genesee) out hustled the Wheaton keeper to a pass out of the back by senior Mitchell Cain (Marcy/Whitesboro).  As the ball rolled out front, Sutherland was able to push the ball by the on-rushing keeper.  Sutherland was then able to keep his feet and got past the keeper where he got his right foot on the ball and pushed it the final 15 yards into the back of the goal.
 
Just over two minutes later, Oneonta took the lead when Passiatore scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Williams.  The Red Dragons were pressuring in the box when Williams headed a ball down through the defense to a wide open Passiatore.  Passiatore took the pass on his left foot and put a shot to the inside far right post.
 
Wheaton pressured early in the second half with a flurry of shots that seemed to catch Oneonta a bit flat footed.  The pressure paid off for the Thunder as they tied the game at two apiece in the 52^nd minute.
 
The goal was a carbon copy of Oneonta's first goal.  A pass came out of the back where Adam Blackman was able to chip the ball by a charging Pellegrino before putting the ball in a position to shoot it into a wide open goal from about 25 yards.
 
"It's disappointing to say the least," Byrne commented on the end of the season.  "We'll be back.  Our program has a lot of very talented players.  I know that our younger players are going to work hard to get back here again next year."