A late penalty off a rash challenge would hand the visiting SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons a 1-0 win over Rensselaer’s men's soccer team last Saturday. After their first loss of the season to Oswego State, the Engineers faced off against an undefeated Oneonta side at home on Saturday night looking for a statement win to correct their hiccup.
Both teams from the opening whistle fought for control of the midfield in order to create quick counterattacks off of turnovers to threaten the opposition’s back line. Oneonta would be the first to capitalize on this, exploiting a Rensselaer turnover in the 10th minute to put a Red Dragon forward through on goal, forcing a save from Rensselaer goalkeeper Noah Churchill.
For the rest of the half, both Rensselaer and Oneonta struggled to stay in possession, turning the ball over again and again before they advanced into the final third. When either team advanced into the final third of the field, the wingers would receive the ball in the corner and opt for a cross into the box instead of recycling the play back to the midfield. However, Oneonta seemed to be on the front foot, firing a low shot that pulled just inches wide of the far post in the 29th minute. The game remained scoreless at half, but Rensselaer was lucky that Oneonta were not able to convert on any of their two big chances.
After the break, both teams settled into the game, trying to keep possession and trading shots and opportunities. In the 67th minute, Rensselaer had the best chance of the game when a cross found its way to sophomore Jax Jameson, who took a beautiful first touch around his body and rifled a shot which rattled off the underside of the crossbar. But in the 84th minute, the Engineers were the first to crack under pressure.
After a poor clearance, Rensselaer left back Tegan Dunne made a desperate tackle inside the penalty box, completely taking out the Oneonta attacker. The referee did not hesitate to call the foul. Oneonta’s penalty taker didn’t make a mistake from the penalty spot, placing the shot into the upper right corner just above the diving Churchill to give the Red Dragons a 1-0 lead. The Engineers desperately pushed the ball down the field as time dwindled, but it was too late.
Oneonta outplayed Resselear, taking the edge in terms of quality chances. Oneonta converted half of their twelve shots on target, while Rensselaer only placed one of their ten shots on target. On a positive note, Churchill had an excellent performance in goal and the defense held strong outside of the late lapse in concentration.
The Engineers' will hope to bounce back when they host RIT this upcoming Saturday to begin Liberty League play. The box score for the game can be found here.
