NEW PALTZ, NY -- The State University of New York at New Paltz men's soccer team won their third straight game Saturday afternoon at South Turf Field, defeating Farmingdale State by a score of 1-0. 
 
The victory follows a Sept. 8 win against US Merchant Marine Academy and Sept. 5 win at Drew University. Prior to the game against the Rangers, SUNY New Paltz had lost to Rowan University and defeated Union College. 
 
Hawks junior midfielder Phil Varner Jr scored the lone goal of the game in the 47th minute, the strike turning out to be all SUNY New Paltz needed to improve to 4-1 on the season. Varner moved the ball swiftly from left to the right and maneuvered past a Ram defender before sending the shot to the back of the net. 
 
 
SUNY New Paltz coach Kyle Clancy liked the aggressiveness and awareness of the midfielder throughout the game. "He found the ball a lot and in great pockets," he said. 
 
Varner's goal was assisted by sophomore midfielder Papis Konate, who made a great pass coming across the middle. Konate himself had a decent opportunity in the second half, on a headed ball off a throw-in, but his kick was defended well and blocked. Ryan Hilliard also had a chance to score in the second half, but his shot was just high above the crossbar. 
 
Overall, SUNY New Paltz had nine shots, with five on goal. They added seven corner kicks compared to Farmingdale State's two. Varner was the busiest of the group, with four shots and three coming on goal. Gino Mazzella, coming into the game as a substitute, had two shots on frame. Substitute Tommy Jelstrom and starters Joseph DiPreta and Hilliard were the other Hawks who registered shots in the contest, with one apiece. 
 
On the Rams' side, they tallied just one shot on goal, off the foot of midfielder Will Lynch, in a game that the Hawks controlled for the most part. 
 
The home team dominated the time of possession in the first half especially, playing a solid game that kept Farmingdale State out of their end. Hawks goalkeeper Marc DePasquale did not have the busiest day, with just one legitimately threatening situation that the Rams brought on. In the 71st minute, in the most precarious situation he and his defense found themselves in all day, as the fifth-year senior dove to his left to stop a well struck ball. The goalkeeper was complimentary of the team's defensive effort overall. 
"We played defense really well," he said. "They didn't really get any shots on target or breakaways. I liked it. The team was all talking, so it was good. It was a good improvement."
 
While the defense was strong, Clancy would like to see more sharpness from his offense going forward in terms of creating scoring opportunities, an offense that tripled the Rams' shot on goal output 9-3. 
 
"I felt there was a lot of good build up, a lot of good progression to get to the final third, and really good possession at times," Clancy said. "We were half a step off, missing touches. You have an opportunity to make it a two or three to zero game and change the dynamic but, when it's one zip, they're [the opposition] always right there in it. If we can put a few chances away, it's a different game." 
 
Going into Wednesday's game at Vassar, Clancy felt there are details the team can improve upon. 
 
"We need to work on possession, tempo, speed of play, our touches. We have to tighten up a few things defensively, but I want to sharpen up our possession a little bit," he said.
 
"I'm really looking forward to Vassar," added DePasquale. "We play them every year and don't really like each other… I just want to beat them again."
 
The Hawks will look to secure win No. 4 Wednesday when they head to Poughkeepsie to take on the Brewers for a 4 p.m. game.

Varner Post-Game Interview

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