UNION, NJ — The SUNY New Paltz men's soccer team overcame nearly 88 minutes of playing down a man Wednesday night, with Brandon Dhanoolal burying a free kick with 51 seconds remaining to lift the Hawks to a dramatic 3-2 NJAC road victory over Kean University.
SUNY New Paltz improved to 7-3-1 overall and 2-1 in NJAC play, earning its second straight conference victory despite finding itself in a difficult position almost immediately after kickoff.
The Hawks were reduced to 10 men following a red card just 2:27 into the game, and Kean capitalized only 13 seconds later to take a 1-0 lead. Despite the early deficit and disadvantage, SUNY New Paltz remained aggressive going forward and began creating better opportunities.
The equalizer came at 17:53 after Ryan Zindler found space on the opposite side of the field and drove a low cross through the box. Tait made a run toward the service and drew the Cougars' goalkeeper off his line, narrowly missing the initial ball before it continued through to Dhanoolal at the far post. With the keeper committed, Dhanoolal cleaned up the chance, tapping his finish past a last-ditch sliding effort from a Kean defender to level the game at 1-1.
SUNY New Paltz continued threatening even while playing shorthanded and came inches away from grabbing the lead midway through the half. David Lamour chased down a loose ball and beat the charging Kean goalkeeper to it, leaving himself with a look at an open net. Lamour sent his effort toward goal, but the shot caught the post and bounced back into play to keep the game tied.
Tait helped create another dangerous chance shortly after, attacking into the box and challenging the Cougars' goalkeeper for a 50/50 ball. The senior nearly won the battle, but the ball deflected off the keeper and out as the Hawks continued finding ways through Kean's back line.
SUNY New Paltz finally grabbed the lead with virtually no time remaining in the half. The Hawks worked the ball into a crowded penalty area, where Bryan Lizama fought through traffic to get onto the chance. With a defender between himself and goal, Lizama wrapped his foot around the ball and tucked his finish inside the near post with just four seconds remaining, sending SUNY New Paltz into halftime with a 2-1 advantage.
Kean answered quickly out of the break, leveling the game at 2-2 in the 48th minute. The Cougars found more opportunities as the second half progressed, but SUNY New Paltz remained organized defensively while Austin Sheehan came through with saves in the 62nd and 70th minutes to preserve the tie.
The Hawks continued looking for a winner late rather than settling for the road draw. Tait put an attempt on frame in the 87th minute, while SUNY New Paltz earned three corner kicks in a span of less than three minutes to keep pressure on the Cougars.
With the clock approaching the final minute, SUNY New Paltz earned a free kick just outside the box following a Kean foul. Dhanoolal stepped over the ball and buried the opportunity at 89:09, putting the Hawks ahead, 3-2, with only 51 seconds remaining. The strike sent the SUNY New Paltz sideline spilling onto the field and toward the corner as Dhanoolal was mobbed by his teammates following the go-ahead goal.
After playing a man down for virtually the entire night, the Hawks saw out the remaining seconds to secure their second consecutive NJAC victory and third straight win overall.
Dhanoolal finished with two goals while putting all four of his attempts on frame, including the game-winning strike in the final minute. Lizama added the Hawks' second goal of the night, while Zindler recorded an assist on Dhanoolal's first.
SUNY New Paltz finished with a 16-12 advantage in shots despite playing with 10 men for nearly 88 minutes, putting 12 attempts on goal compared to five for the Cougars. The Hawks also held a 6-5 edge in corner kicks, while Sheehan made three saves in the victory.
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