FREDONIA, N.Y. – The Fredonia State Men's Soccer team (5-5-0, 0-2-0 SUNYAC) hosted the nationally ranked Cortland Red Dragons (9-1-1, 3-0-0) on Friday afternoon. Both teams battled for the entirety of the first half, but Cortland emerged victorious after a 3-0 second half.
The first half of action saw back and forth play between the two sides. The Blue Devils got off five shots, with one being on goal. One of Fredonia's best opportunities came in the 15
th minute when
Matt Cullen (East Northport, N.Y.) collected a ball above the 18 and sent the shot just above the crossbar.
Kyle Pezzulo (Rochester, N.Y.) helped keep the game scoreless making an athletic save with 40 seconds to go in the half.
Coach
P.J. Gondek added, "In the first half in particular, we just did not execute on some great scoring chances". Those chances, like Cullen's, could have "changed the game" for Gondek's squad.
Early in the second stanza, the Red Dragons got on the board first when Blake Aronson put home a cross from Jason Lee. With just under ten minutes to play, Cortland stretched their lead to two off a goal from Carter Jackson. The visitors scored their third and final goal as time expired, coming from Jack Coleman.
The Blue Devils took ten shots, putting two on goal, and earned two corner kicks.
Pezzulo played 90 minutes while recording four saves.
Fredonia State returns to action tomorrow, hosting Oswego at 1:00 PM at University Stadium. Coach Gondek stresses the importance of the second SUNYAC tilt of the weekend, stating "our back are against the wall now and we must win".
