New Paltz, NY — Saturday afternoon the State University of New York at New Paltz men's soccer team closed out its 2019 season with a 2-2 draw against SUNY Potsdam (3-12-1 overall, 1-7-1 SUNYAC).
The Bears started the scoring off in the 35th minute when a deflection found the back of the net, giving them a 1-0 lead. The Hawks quickly responded, scoring twice in a matter of two minutes. The first goal came in the 42nd minute off the foot of Philip Varner from a ball by Kevin Doorley. Doorley then turned around and managed a goal of his own in the 44th minute to take the game to halftime intermission.
On their first shot of the half, Potsdam knotted the match back up on a Jeffrey Schulz goal in the 64th minute. Despite a fair share of chances, neither team would be able to finish a shot for the next 46 minutes, resulting in a 2-2 final.
SUNY New Paltz's best chance to put the game away came in the fifth minute of extra time. Doorley took a ball from freshman Gabriel Cruz, putting a shot on goal from about 12 yards out. Bears' keeper Esdras Juarez made a fantastic save to keep the game tied.
Despite not being defeated, it was a heartbreaker for Hawks, who had a plethora of chances in the match. Twenty-four of their 33 shots were on goal, but Juarez was a wall in front of the net, making an astonishing 22 saves.
Gallery: (10/26/2019) Men's Soccer Senior Day 2019
"When we did what we were supposed to do, which was playing feet, playing fast, and executing the game plan, we looked really good," said SUNY New Paltz head coach Kyle Clancy. "We developed some good patterns and created a lot of opportunities. We lack a lot of composure and don't have a finisher."
The frustration was evident on the faces of the Hawks. After starting the year 8-4, New Paltz went winless in its last five. A clearly frustrated Clancy summed up the teams progression in one word: "backwards".
Before the game, four seniors, Gordon Walker, Declan Costello, Luke Dole, and Coltan Goodwine were recognized by the squad.
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