The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team closed out its regular season home schedule today with a non-conference match against Sage College.  The Red Dragons handled the visiting Gators recording a 2-0 shutout to raise its overall season record to 9-3-4.  The loss for the Gators dropped them to 4-8-1 overall.
 
After Sage earned a pair of corner kicks in the opening seven minutes, Oneonta began settling into the match working the ball around with crisp passing, which led to the first goal in the 11^th minute by senior Nicholas Plate (Miller Place/Sachem North).
 
Plate actually had a couple of touches on the ball working himself across the top of the box before slipping behind the defense where junior Nick Dillmann (Fishkill/John Jay) slotted a ball that Plate banged past the keeper to put Oneonta up 1-0.
 
The Red Dragons held a slight 7-6 advantage in shots in the first half, 7-6, while taking its one-goal lead into halftime.
 
Oneonta came out of the break and got on top of Sage early.  The Red Dragons generated multiple scoring chances that somehow were staying out of the goal thanks to more than a couple diving saves by Sage keeper Mike Chiaravalloti.  During a two-minute stretch Oneonta was relentless on the attack leading up to its second goal in the 64^th minute.
 
The Red Dragons' sustained effort paid off on a corner kick served by Plate that junior Witman Hernandez (Huntington/Walt Whitman) headed into the right corner of the goal just outside the reach of Chiaravalloti.
 
Senior Nicholas Giordano (East Northport/Commack) made five saves in goal today to pick up his sixth win and fourth shutout of the season.
 
Oneonta will close out the regular season this Saturday at New Paltz.  Both teams have clinched a playoff spot but are battling for a bye in the opening round of the tournament that begins on Saturday, Oct. 27.