New Paltz, NY —The State University of New York at New Paltz men's soccer team won its fourth straight game Friday and stayed unbeaten in SUNYAC play after clinching a 3-1 victory over visiting SUNY Potsdam.
 
The Hawks (8-2 overall, 3-0 SUNYAC) maintained possession for most of the first half but couldn't create anything too dangerous on net as they played more direct balls into the box, which were cleaned up by the Bears' Conor Callan. Most of the passes played through or behind were too deep making easy work for Callan until James Maltes broke through in the 38th minute.
 
"We thought we could take advantage with some of our pace," said SUNY New Paltz coach Kyle Clancy. "It's not necessarily the game plan to play direct, but we always tell them in the first nine to 10 [minutes], if you see openings put a ball behind because it starts to open up space when we possess. I have no problem with it. I didn't think our final balls were great today, but they made it count when they needed to. Corner play worked again, so that was great. Good execution on those areas."
 
 
SUNY New Paltz won the ball back on a Potsdam throw-in near midfield and quickly switched the point of attack, first going through freshman forward Gino Mazzella who found the feet of freshman Thomas O'Neill who just checked into the game. O'Neill played a touch pass behind the defense with Maltes running on the back side, resulting in a 1-v-1 with the senior and Callan. Maltes made sure to bury his opportunity with a one-touch, low finish to put his team up, 1-0.
 
Maltes' goal gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead heading into half, and it didn't take long after the break before they pushed their cushion to two over the Bears.
 
"Going into the second half up is huge always," said SUNY New Paltz junior forward Brandon Davenport. "Having a late goal just gives us a lot of momentum moving forward and it definitely helps a ton. It was a huge goal we definitely needed it."
 
In the 48th minute, the Hawks were awarded a free kick about 40 yards out in its attacking end. Freshman Joseph DiPreta played a slicing service low toward the six-yard box that was flicked on by freshman centerback Owen McGarrity that fell back post to the foot of Davenport who touched in the game's second goal. 
With the two-goal cushion, SUNY New Paltz played the Bears within the midfield for the following 15 minutes or so unable to generate anything dangerous in that span. The light lapse in play gave Potsdam the window needed to cut into the deficit with a goal in the 60th minute. Gaining possession on the near sideline just inside SUNY New Paltz's defensive half, Zach Saddlemire lofted a ball behind the Hawks defense and found teammate Antonio Gerbasi running on far post to create a 1-v-1 with goalie Marc DePasquale inside the six. Gerbasi placed his shot behind DePasquale coming off his line and cut the score, 2-1.
 
SUNY New Paltz picked up from there, however, and all momentum shifted toward the hosts. Davenport narrowly helped his team to another goal, playing a nifty ball behind the defense to teammate Ryan Stevens making a run through, which would have given him a breakaway with the keeper, but the linesman had his flag up signaling for offsides. About five minutes later, Philip Varner nearly escaped down the flank on a quick re-start in the Bears' offensive half following a foul, but the officials called the play dead requiring SUNY New Paltz to move the ball back to the spot of the foul and slowing the quick counter.
 
The third goal finally came in the 72nd minute after the Hawks earned a corner following a punch out on a cross by Callan. On the ensuing corner, DiPreta again delivered another great service, this time lofting a pass toward the back post finding the head of Davenport who sailed his attempt over the out-stretched arms of Callan into the top corner for the score.
 
"His technique is top notch," said Clancy of DiPreta. "He can put it where he wants it most of the time and as long as guys make the right runs and everything is timed well it's going to really help out and that was the second time we've run that play and they were able to put it away both times. Great work all around. It's a huge element to have when you can deliver a good ball."
 
With Potsdam pressing with numbers down by a pair of goals, SUNY New Paltz found ample chances to add on to its lead. Five minutes after Davenport's second score, SUNY New Paltz nearly scored in the same way, this time with Kenneth Roby playing a corner back post to Mazzella, who's header went just high of frame.
 
Mazzella nearly had a highlight goal after a nifty flick to get around his defender that allowed him to gain a 1-v-1 inside the box, but Callan made a nice foot save to preserve the score. In those final 10 minutes freshman Griffin Witdorchic worked down the sideline to get endline and played a dangerous cross the cut through the six-yard box just inches from Mazzella and O'Neill. Roby might have had the closest chance to add on, as he found space inside the 18-yard box, hitting a left-footed dagger that knocked off the post and out of play. 
"They flooded numbers up in the end and when that happens clearly we're going to find a lot more openings," Clancy said. "I think we have to do that a little bit better in the middle of the half. That's the thing I want to see from us is that when we have leads and we're in control of the game, we're not giving up too many good chances, but still being able to play who we are and our style. We need to keep working on that, but I think we've been getting much better at playing really good final balls and I thought today it wasn't quite on. It was very vertical in the final passes, very heavy. It was just one of those days."
 
The Hawks out-shot the Bears, 10-2 and 6-1 on shots on target with both shots attempted coming in the second half for Potsdam. Davenport, Roby and Mazzella led the team with two shots apiece.
 
"I was just happy to help the team any way I can," Davenport said. "I had two kind of tap-ins. First from a great ball from Joey and a flick from Owen, so at the end of the day I was just in the right spot in the right time on both. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and I hope to get a few more.  
 
"It was a big win," he added. "We definitely didn't play our best at all, so getting that was huge and keeping nine points and [staying] undefeated [in conference] is huge. Just leaving it all in the past and focusing on tomorrow now and hoping we get the 12 points."
 
SUNY New Paltz will look to stay perfect in conference play Saturday when it hosts SUNY Plattsburgh in its home regular season finale on the South Turf Field. The game is expected to have a heavy turnout, as the program will play in its annual Heinz Ahlmeyer Jr. Game and will also honor its senior class prior to the match.

Post-Game with Brandon Davenport

 
Hawks vs. Potsdam HIGHLIGHTS


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