NEW PALTZ, NY – The State University of New York New Paltz men's soccer team put together a complete team victory in its final non-conference contest, taking down Springfield College, 2-1, on North Turf Tuesday afternoon.
The Hawks fired on all cylinders, overwhelming Springfield with consistent pressure throughout the full 90 minutes. SUNY New Paltz out-shot the Pride, 30-3, putting 13 attempts on frame compared to Springfield's two, while also controlling the set-piece battle with a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.
SUNY New Paltz established control from the opening whistle and spent much of the first half in its attacking third. Brandon Dhanoolal registered the first shot on goal of the afternoon before Riley Tait and Chase Marshall followed with chances of their own as the Hawks continued pushing numbers forward.
The opportunities continued to pile up for SUNY New Paltz, which generated 13 shots through the opening 45 minutes and earned five corner kicks. Springfield goalkeeper Tommy Fenton kept the game scoreless, however, recording four first-half saves as the Pride weathered the constant pressure.
On the opposite end, the Hawks' back line prevented Springfield from generating anything offensively. SUNY New Paltz did not concede a single shot during the opening half, allowing the Hawks to continually regain possession and build another attack.
The pressure carried into the second half, with SUNY New Paltz recording four shots within the opening eight minutes before finally finding its breakthrough.
SUNY New Paltz finally broke through in the 54th minute following a well-worked sequence through the midfield. Owen Joyce collected possession and slipped a ball forward into the path of Kieran Weber, who made his run behind the Springfield back line. Weber took the chance into the attacking third and calmly finished past the Pride goalkeeper to give the Hawks a deserved 1-0 advantage after controlling the match to that point.
Less than six minutes later, Weber turned provider. The senior worked the ball into the box for captain Samuel Snider, who put away his opportunity in the 60th minute to double the Hawks' advantage. The goal marked the first of Snider's collegiate career, coming in his senior season after being a staple of the SUNY New Paltz back line throughout his career.
Springfield finally generated its first shot of the contest in the second half and managed to capitalize on one of its few opportunities. Cooper Kassan cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1 in the 68th minute, giving the Pride life despite SUNY New Paltz's control of the run of play.
The Hawks responded by continuing to attack rather than sitting on the one-goal advantage as SUNY New Paltz generated 17 second-half shots and forced Fenton into seven more saves after halftime, keeping Springfield under pressure through the closing stages.
Ryan Zindler led the Hawks with six shots, placing three on frame, while Weber totaled five attempts and finished with three points behind a goal and an assist. Dante Gulla and Marshall each added four shots, with the Hawks' depth helping produce one of their highest-volume attacking performances of the season.
Fenton finished with 11 saves for Springfield as SUNY New Paltz forced the Pride goalkeeper into action throughout the afternoon. Austin Sheehan needed just one save on the opposite end, playing all 90 minutes as the Hawks' defense limited Springfield to three shots and two on goal.
SUNY New Paltz ultimately finished with advantages of 30-3 in shots, 13-2 in shots on goal and 9-2 in corners, closing out its non-conference schedule with a dominant overall performance before turning its attention to NJAC competition.
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