The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team dropped a heartbreaker, 4-3, in a shootout to Amherst College tonight in the semifinals of the 2015 NCAA tournament.  The Red Dragons were making its second consecutive appearance in the national semifinals, but came away empty after battling Amherst for 110 minutes of soccer.
 
"It's a terrible way to lose for either team, unfortunately it was us," said Head Coach Iain Byrne.  "Hats off to Amherst. They don't make any mistakes in the back.  I think going in people thought that it would end 0-0 and it did."
 
After the two teams battled to a scoreless tie in regulation, they headed to overtime to try and decide a winner.
 
The two squads went right at each other from the opening whistle of the first extra period.  In the second minute, Oneonta (19-3-2) earned a corner kick, which was taken by senior Dylan Williams (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury).  Williams sent a ball in that was headed by classmate Greg Silvestro (West Sayville/Connetquot) in the direction of the goal.  The Amherst keeper was out of position and the ball was kicked off the goal line by an Amherst defender.
 
Amherst generated a couple of near misses in the middle of the period, but the score remained knotted at zero.
 
With three minutes left in the first overtime, sophomore Cory Santangelo (Sayville/Sayville) nearly ended the game when he broke by an Amherst defender that fell down before getting a shot off from about eight yards that deflected off the keeper out to the top of the box.  Senior Jake Sutherland (Syracuse/West Genesee) didn't waste any time in getting off a second shot that just rolled past the left post.
 
"I thought for a time we got on top of them," stated Byrne.  "The passing game was working and I really felt like one was coming."
 
In the second overtime, Amherst had some early opportunities, but couldn't get one past Pellegrino.  Pellegrino finished the game with five saves.  He also completed his career without allowing a goal in his final 939 minutes of play, which is a program record.  He also broke his own single season record with his 14^th shutout and finishes his career with 30 shutouts, which is also a program record.
 
At the end of the second overtime, Williams sent a ball in from outside the left corner of the box that reached the front of the goal.  Santangelo was able to get his head on it, but it went across the goal before being knocked out by an Amherst defender as time expired.
 
In the shootout, Oneonta had the first shot, which Williams took.  He put a shot along the ground that was heading for the lower right corner, but was knocked away with a diving save by the keeper.
 
After Amherst converted its first kick, junior Hans Purtell (Johnson City/Johnson City) sent his shot wide of the right post.  Amherst converted its next kick to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Santangelo, Sutherland and senior Alex Winiarski (Great Neck/St. Anthony's) all converted their kicks for Oneonta to force the deciding kick for the match.  Milton Rico converted for Amherst to end the game.
 
When asked whether losing in regulation or shootout matters, senior captain Sean Vinberg (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) stated, "The loss feels the same no matter how it happens.  I thought we played well.  We just lost in PKs.  I'm just proud of the guys and what we have accomplished."
 
Vinberg added, "We had a lot of confidence going into overtime.  We thought we could have gotten one in regulation, but didn't.  We just couldn't generate any chances, but I credit their back line for preventing us from getting one."
 
First half action went back and forth throughout, as both teams settled into the match.  Amherst had what looked like the game's first real chance in the fifth minute, but they were called for offsides.
 
A few minutes later, Oneonta generated its first scoring chance when Williams and Sutherland worked inside the 18.  Williams broke loose and took a shot that was blocked and on the deflection Sutherland followed with a shot that just sailed over the crossbar.
 
Amherst was credited with five shots in the opening half with a pair that landed on goal.  The first was in the 25^th minute that came off a throw in.  The throw in came into the box where it was headed twice, the second by Greg Singer that Vincent Pellegrino (Baldwin/Baldwin) had to make a diving stop to his left.  With less than 1:30 remaining, a header came in off a set piece that Pellegrino saved as he went to the ground.
 
Amherst held a slight 16-14 edge in shots and both teams earned six corner kicks.
 
Byrne concluded, "I thought our guys played tremendous tonight.  You couldn't ask for anything more.  This group of seniors is out of this world.  By far the greatest group we've ever had.  I'm just proud to say I coached these guys."