The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team wasted little time in putting today's season-opener out of reach with three goals in the first 27 minutes en route to a 4-0 blanking of Manhattanville.  Sophomore Witman Hernandez (Huntington/Walt Whitman) picked up where he left off a year ago scoring all three goals for the natural hat-trick.
 
"The scoreboard gives a false impression of the game," said Head Coach Iain Byrne.  "Manhattanville had a lot of the ball and if some of their chances had gone in, it would have changed the game.  Having said that, we looked a threat all day, and the back five deserve a lot of credit for keeping a clean sheet."
 
Hernandez's first goal came in the sixth minute when he finished off a crossing pass from the right flank with a diving header that sailed into the back of the goal giving the Red Dragons the early lead.
 
Hernandez struck again less than two minutes later off of a couple of passes that gave him the ball at the top of the box.  Sophomore Daniel Ioos (Wappinger Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) started the play carrying the ball down the right sideline before passing it across to senior Cory Santangelo (Sayville/Sayville) at the top right corner of the box.  Santangelo then laid a pass across to Hernandez who then finished the play with a low shot along the ground that beat the Manhattanville keeper to his right side.
 
Hernandez capped his day in the 27^th minute with an unassisted goal.  Hernandez battled the keeper for a loose ball in the box and came away with it and dribbled away to his left before getting a shot off that crossed the line to the back of the goal.
 
The final goal of the day for the Red Dragons came in the 54^th minute by freshman Roberto Ventura (Brentwood/Brentwood).  Ventura was in the right place at the right time to tip a ball that came all the way across the box.  Martinez sent a ball along the ground from the right flank that rolled through the keeper to a waiting Ventura, who just had to tap it across the line.
 
Transfer Nicholas Giordano (East Northport/Commack) made seven saves in his debut for Oneonta in goal today.  Giordano made five saves in the second half including a couple of diving stops to keep the Vailiants off the scoreboard.
 
Oneonta will travel to New Jersey to face Stevens Institute on Sunday for a match beginning at 11am.