CANTON, N.Y. -- With the game tied in the final minutes of their SUNYAC opener, the No. 23 nationally ranked Oneonta men's soccer team struck late and defeated Canton for a 2-1 conference road win, Wednesday evening. Oneonta held a one-goal lead at the break until Canton scored in the 63rd minute, then graduate student
Zach Rabadi (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) netted the game-winning goal in the 87th minute. The win improved the Red Dragons to 7-0-1 this season, 1-0-0 in the SUNYAC, and the Roos dropped to 1-8-2 overall and 0-2-1 in conference play.
"We couldn't find the final ball and Canton did well to limit us in the attacking third," Head Coach
Iain Byrne commented. "We persevered, and eventually some quick thinking from Rabadi produced the game winner."
Senior
Zach Tanner (Massapequa Park, NY/Saint Anthony's) gave Oneonta the early lead with his first goal of the season in the 38th minute. Junior
Nico Loaiza (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood) centered the ball to Tanner, who was on the right side of the goal area and headed the ball into the far side of the net.
Canton tied the match in the 63rd minute when Brody Sparks sent a pass down the length of the field to Gavin Barth. With the ball slightly above the ground, Barth chipped the ball into goal from 23 yards out.
Graduate student
Iyare Harris (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and freshman
Yacouba Bamba (Harlem, NY/Success Academy High School of Liberal Arts) each had a chance to regain the lead with a shot in the 68th minute, yet they were both stopped.
The Roos had a chance to take the lead with a shot from Anthony Ruggiero in the 70th minute, but junior
James Cintron (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) saved the shot.
In the 71st minute, the Red Dragons were awarded a penalty kick, however they came up empty as the Roos keeper made the stop.
Down to the final four minutes of play, Oneonta was moving the ball up the field when Loaiza drew a foul near the top of the penalty area. Canton's keeper walked the ball up and gave the ball to Harris. Harris quickly restarted play and passed the ball off to the right side to Rabadi, who fired the ball into the net past the diving goalie. The goal was Rabadi's second of the season, as Oneonta held off Canton in the remaining moments for the win.
Cintron finished the game with one save for Oneonta.
Braydn Bovee ended with six saves for Canton.
The Red Dragons outshot the Roos 13-4 in total shots, 8-2 with shots on goal, and they finished with an 11-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Oneonta is back on the pitch on Saturday, October 3, for a SUNYAC road match at Plattsburgh starting at 1 pm.
