Box Score NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's soccer team managed to stay one step ahead of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) rival SUNY Potsdam as the Hawks soared to a 4-3 win in the inaugural Heinz Ahlmeyer Game on Saturday afternoon.
Named in honor of a 1966 New Paltz alumnus and former men's soccer player who was killed in action in the Vietnam War in 1967, all proceeds from today's game will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides support services to meet the needs of injured service members and their families.
The Hawks improve to 9-5, 3-2 SUNYAC and will pay a visit to Hunter College on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. Potsdam drops to 7-5-1, 1-3-1 SUNYAC and returns home to host Buffalo State on Friday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.
In the first 30 minutes of game play, senior forward
Jason Gonzalez (Woodside, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) scored a pair of goals to push the Hawks ahead to an early 2-0 advantage.
Junior forward
Tyler Lundgren (Wallkill, N.Y./Wallkill) added a goal of his own in the 55
th minute, finding the back of the net off of a cross pass from junior midfielder
Tucker Stern (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) to extended New Paltz's lead to 3-0.
Potsdam responded in the 59
th minute when senior midfielder Johnny Zator's shot tipped off sophomore goalkeeper
John Guzzo's (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) foot and into the net to slice the score, 3-1. Senior forward Ben Firlit added to Potsdam's efforts, knocking in a rebounded shot into the goal for a close 3-2 score.
The Hawks managed to shake off the Bears in the 77
th minute as senior midfielder
Jake Falk (Jericho, N.Y./Jericho) launched a point blank shot into the net off of a double assist from sophomore midfielder
Khalil Scott Ludewig (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) and sophomore midfielder
Gino Scardino (West Hempstead, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) for a 4-2 lead.
Sophomore defender Matthew Wagner was able to score once more for Potsdam but the Hawks would take the 4-3 victory as the buzzer signaled the end of the game.
Despite the win, Potsdam outshot the Hawks, 17-11, and held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Gonzalez led the offense for New Paltz, registering four shots and two goals. Falk notched two shots and one goal for the Hawks while Scardino added to the efforts with two shots and two assists.
Guzzo made four stops in goal. His Potsdam counterpart, senior goalkeeper Jesse Kohler, recorded five saves for the Bears.
