ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw in 110 minutes of play in the SUNYAC semifinals, however fell in the penalty shootout to No. 18 nationally ranked Cortland, Wednesday afternoon. Junior
Joe Holder (Greenwood Lake, N.Y./Warwick) hit the equalizer for Oneonta in the 38th minute after Cortland scored the first goal off a penalty kick in the 25th minute. Neither team found the net during the rest of regulation or extra time and Cortland took the penalty shootout, 5-3.
"It's always a tough way to lose in a shootout," said head coach
Iain Byrne. "That was probably how it was going to be decided. We probably needed a little more cutting edge in attack, but the guys can be proud of a successful season."
Leading up to the shootout, Cortland was awarded their first half penalty kick when the linesman called a handball on a Red Dragon defender inside the penalty area. Mateo Marra took the penalty kick to put Cortland up 1-0.
Oneonta tied the match in the 38th minute. Following a free kick that sent the ball into Cortland territory, junior
Dillon Kelly (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Beacon) gained possession of the ball and passed it to freshman
Tommy Kliampas (Huntington Station, N.Y./Walt Whitman) at the top of the 18-yard box. Kliampas had a quick touch and passed the ball into the penalty area where Holder sprinted in for the shot, as a Cortland defender was sliding at him, and scored on the left side of the goal past the outreached keeper.
After Holder's goal, junior
AJ Lucas (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) saved five shots during the rest of regulation to keep the game tied. Kelly, senior
Ali Somow (Utica, N.Y./Proctor) and junior
Sam Rogers (Broadalbin, N.Y./Broadalbin-Perth) had a chance to give Oneonta the lead before extra time, but Cortland's Jordan Ott made the stops.
Neither team recorded a shot on goal during overtime, forcing the penalty shootout. Cortland went first in the shootout and took it, 5-3, after they made all five while Oneonta missed their first off the crossbar.
Lucas and Cortland's Jordan Ott both finished with five saves. Both teams had six shots on target while Oneonta outshot Cortland 17-13 and held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
