CORTLAND, N.Y. –  Junior Hans Purtell (Johnson City/Johnson City) scored in the fifth minute and the goal held up as the SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team defeated Cortland, 1-0, in SUNYAC action Saturday afternoon at Jets Field. The home Red Dragons fell to 5-3-1 overall and 0-2 in the conference with the loss, while the visiting Red Dragons improved to 6-2-1 and 2-0 in the SUNYAC.
 
"It was a game of two halves," stated Head Coach Iain Byrne.  "I thought Cortland played an excellent first half, while we got the best of them in the second half."
 
Junior goalie Joe Brandofino made six saves for Cortland, including five in the second half. Senior goalie Vincent Pellegrino (Baldwin/Baldwin) stopped two shots for Oneonta. Senior Dylan Williams (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) assisted on Purtell's goal.
 
Purtell scored the game-winning goal just 4:38 into the game after he ran onto a through ball from Williams on the left side of the box and blasted a 15-yard shot to Brandofino's right for his second goal of the season. Cortland's best chance in the opening half came in the ninth minute, but junior Andre Brown's shot from the left side of the box slid wide of the right post.
 
In the second half, Oneonta outshot Cortland, 16-6, but Brandofino turned aside all five shots on goal he faced. The host Red Dragons' best chance at scoring the equalizer came in the 54th minute when senior Sean Streb (Lansing) struck a 30-yard shot that narrowly sailed over the crossbar.
 
Oneonta will finally get to play on the newly turfed Red Dragon Field next weekend when they host Brockport and SUNY Geneseo in conference tilts.  Oneonta faces Brockport on Friday beginning at 3pm while Geneseo comes to town on Saturday for a 1pm kickoff.
 
"We have a long way to go still to get to the level we were at last year," said Byrne.  "It will be good to play in front of the home crowd the next two weekends facing some quality opponents."