CORTLAND, N.Y. – Freshman Cam LaVallee scored off a pass from senior Tyler Kirschner in the 73rd minute and nationally sixth-ranked Cortland defeated 22nd-ranked Oneonta, 1-0, in the SUNYAC men's soccer championship game at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex.
Cortland won its first SUNYAC title since 2008 while setting a school record with their 17th win of the season and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Oneonta, the SUNYAC champion in both 2014 and 2015, fell to 14-6-1 with the loss and will now await a possible NCAA at-large berth.
"We struggled in the first half to adapt to the pitch," said Coach
Iain Byrne. "While we played well enough in the second half, we didn't do enough to work their goalkeeper. Cortland is having a great season and the SUNYAC is lucky to have them representing us in the NCAA tournament."
Cortland junior goalie Connor Young made two saves for his fifth straight shutout and 10th overall this season. He was named the SUNYAC tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Kirschner, senior Daniel Friend and senior Nick Tata. Also chosen to the all-tournament team were Oneonta's
Justin Cebollero (Commack/Commack), Whitman Hernandez and
Austin Hughes (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa), Buffalo State's William Banahene and Brandon Galanti, and Fredonia's Brandon Butts and David Trabold.
Cortland scored the game's lone goal when Kirschner dribbled up the right side and split two defenders with a short crossing pass to LaVallee, who buried a shot inside the right post for his second goal of the season. Kirschner also assisted on Cortland's goal in a 1-0 win over Buffalo State in the SUNYAC semifinals Wednesday.
Oneonta goalie
Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) made six saves as Cortland outshot the guests, 14-10. Cortland also earned five corner kicks to Oneonta's one. Wilson kept the game scoreless in the first half with a diving stop of a shot in the 14
th minute that was headed for the upper left corner of the goal.
Oneonta will now await word on whether it will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament field of 62, which will be announced announced on Monday, November 7 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com.
