A Quick Look
Another day, another record.
 
Senior Witman Hernandez (Huntington/Walt Whitman) eclipsed another program record today in leading the SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team to a 3-0 shutout of Plattsburgh in a battle for supremacy in the SUNYAC.  Both teams entered the game with identical 7-1 records in the conference and the winner would earn the regular season title.  The victory for the Red Dragons earned them its sixth SUNYAC regular season title since rejoining the conference in 2008.  Oneonta (15-2, 8-1 SUNYAC) will now be the top seed for the conference tournament, which begins next Saturday with first round games.  The Red Dragons will have a bye and will host a semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 6 versus an opponent to be determined.
 
"What a perfect day for us," said Head Coach Iain Byrne.  "We played some great attacking soccer against a resolute Plattsburgh squad and I'm sure the crowd was entertained.  Wrapping up the regular season title is a great accomplishment for us.  The boys are looking forward to getting started in the playoffs."
 
The Inside Story
Today's record for Hernandez was the career points mark, which sat at 124 before Hernandez's two goals and one assist today gave him 129 career points.  Hernandez passed Keith Manscuk who played for the Red Dragons from 2005-07.
 
This fall, Hernandez currently has 50 points scoring 20 goals and adding 10 assists.  His 50 points leads all of NCAA soccer including Division I and II.  Robbie Robinson (Clemson) and Thibault Jacquel (Campbell) are tied atop Div. I with 34 points.  Lorne Bickley (Wilmington, DE) is on top of Div. II with 41 points while Patrick Agyemang (E. Conn St.) has 44 points in Div. III.  Only Max Busch of Div. III Bethany Lutheran has more goals (21) than Hernandez.  Hernandez is only the second player in the history of the men's program to reach 20 goals in a season.
 
Today's game started quickly for Plattsburgh generating a dangerous scoring chance in the opening minute of play.  On an indirect kick, Jimmy Marchena pushed a pass to Alex Alejo at the top of the box, who then fired a shot that appeared to be heading into the goal but a diving, one-handed save by freshman Nate Hanna (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) kept the game scoreless. 
 
Hernandez broke the deadlock midway through the opening half when he finished off a pass from sophomore Matt Howe (Hopewell Junction/John Jay).  Howe slid a pass out to the right and Hernandez sped by a Cardinals' defender before firing a low shot that caught the inside of the left side netting.  The Red Dragons took its 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
The game was still 1-0 entering the final 10 minutes of the match before a pair of goals by the Red Dragons nailed the coffin shut.  Sophomore Jeremy Pantoni (Goshen/Goshen) and Hernandez helped each other in the 84^th and 87^th minutes.
 
Pantoni was the beneficiary first on a header pass that Pantoni collected in tight to send a shot to the back of the goal.  Hernandez then finished off a cross into the box by Pantoni that he was able to get his head on and flick a shot by the keeper into the short side of the goal.
 
Just the Stats
Oneonta outshot Plattsburgh (10-7, 7-2 SUNYAC) 16-10 while earning six corner kicks to only two for the Cardinals.  Hanna finished the game with three saves to run his rookie record to 9-1.
 
What's Next
Oneonta will await the winner of the 4/5 matchup to see who their opponent will be for the semifinal match.  Be sure to stay tuned at www.oneontaathletics.com for more information on game time and ticket prices.