ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team captured the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship against Brockport, Saturday afternoon. After a winner could not be decided in 110 minutes of play, the Red Dragons outlasted the Golden Eagles in a penalty shootout, 2-1. Seniors Tristan Battistoni (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) and Ian Zingaro (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) scored the penalty kicks while senior keeper Nate Hanna (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) secured the win saving four of the penalty shots he faced. Hanna was named the Tournament MVP as he finished the tournament with two shutouts and 13 saves.  

The championship for the Red Dragons is its 12th overall for the program and seventh under the helm of Head Coach Iain Byrne.
  
"There's no doubting who the MVP was today... on his [Hanna's] birthday no less," said Coach Byrne. "The penalty saves were spectacular, but it was the save on the breakaway in the last minute that will go unnoticed but was the real deal."  

Throughout the regulation and overtime periods, both teams had strong chances to score with Oneonta generating more opportunities than Brockport.  

Senior Lucas Fecci (Somers, N.Y./Somers) had a couple shots on net in the 10th and 28th minute that were saved by Golden Eagles goalie Andrew Taylor. In the 35th minute, sophomore Owen Siegel (Liberty, N.Y./Liberty) could have broken the tie after he received the ball at the top of the penalty box, created space on his left, and kicked the ball past Taylor but hit the post. Brockport had a moment to score when Warren Banks needed to get by senior Malcolm Swett (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) for a breakaway chance in the 38th minute, though Swett could not be beat and Banks sent the shot wide. In the 41st minute, Golden Eagles' Malcolm Phillips took an open shot out past the corner of the penalty box, only for it to go high and off target.
 
Midway through the second half, the Red Dragons spent more time in the attacking zone as it looked like the Golden Eagles were starting to show fatigue. Siegel had another shot in the 63rd that went just wide left, while senior Ethan Brunell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) took a couple shots on goal in the 70th and 85th that were stopped by Taylor. Brockport closed out regulation with the ball and tallied two long shots and a header on net. Seamus Parker sent Hanna a 30-yard shot that was easily saved in the 87th minute. In the 89th, Giovanni Cardona took a shot from 40 yards out that was heading into the net before Hanna jumped and punched it out. The save set up a corner for Brockport with less than 40 seconds remaining, and off the corner Hanna made another big save as Stefaniw sent the ball in with a header from the six-yard box. 

In the first period of overtime, Brunell and Zingaro were the only ones that registered a shot, and both sent the ball high.  

After the game was paused for a couple minutes due to a collision between Hanna, Battistoni, and a Brockport forward, Hanna brushed himself off and made another game-saving stop in the 108th minute. At midfield, Parker sent a lead pass to Banks for a breakaway chance. Banks dribbled in for a one-on-one, shot from nine yards out, and was blocked away by Hanna, forcing the game into a penalty shootout.  

The Red Dragons got out to a 2-0 lead through the first two rounds of penalty kicks with successful attempts from Battistoni and Zingaro, and two saves from Hanna. Alex Rivara scored Brockport's third attempt to make it 2-1. Hanna closed out the penalty kicks with two more saves and the Oneonta Red Dragons were able to lift the SUNYAC Championship trophy.  

Hanna, Battistoni, Fecci, and freshman Joe Holder (Greenwood Lake, N.Y./Warwick) were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Red Dragons outshot the Golden Eagles 15-6 and had a 9-4 advantage on corner kicks.
 
Along with the four unofficial saves in the penalty shootout, Hanna finished with four saves in the contest. Taylor also ended with four saves for Brockport. 

Since they won the conference championship, Oneonta received an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Red Dragons will know who and where they will play when the NCAA Selection Show airs on NCAA.com on Monday at 1:30 pm.   

Penalty Shootout Results
(BROC) Matthew Stefaniw – Saved by Hanna 
(ONE) Tristan Battistoni (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) – Made 
(BROCK) Dylan Rippe – Saved by Hanna 
(ONE) Ian Zingaro (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) – Made 
(BROCK) Alex Rivara – Made 
(ONE) Ethan Brunell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) – Saved by Taylor 
(BROCK) Warren Banks – Saved by Hanna  
(ONE) Lucas Fecci (Somers, N.Y./Somers) – Crossbar 
(BROCK) Max Voyer – Saved by Hanna  Read Full Article