PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team won its penultimate game before the start of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play on Saturday night at the Field House Complex, defeating non-conference Clarkson University, 2-0.
 
The Cardinals scored a goal with 4:41 left in the first half to get on the board before putting the game on ice with an insurance marker in 89th minute. Plattsburgh State finished with a 15-8 advantage in shots and a 10-7 edge in corner kicks.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 5-2-0 overall with the win and next visits non-conference nemesis St. Lawrence University on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 4 p.m. in Canton, N.Y. Clarkson drops to 3-3-0 overall with the loss and hosts SUNY Canton in its home opener on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m.
 
Senior midfielder Sean Maruscsak (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) broke the deadlocked score in the 41st minute. Off of a throw-in from the left sideline, senior defender Elver Maldonado (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) found the feet of freshman midfielder KyAir Hamilton (Mechanicville, N.Y./Shenendehowa), who then took on three Golden Knight defenders and fed sophomore forward Kyle Pfaff (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa). Pfaff, cutting toward the goal from the top of the 18-yard box, drew yet another Clarkson defender and laced a centering pass to Maruscsak. Maruscsak then struck the ball with one touch at point-blank range and deposited a hard shot into the top left-hand corner of the goal.
 
Plattsburgh State put the game on ice in the 89th minute, as senior forward Nicholas Laurent (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South) started a counterattack, and Pfaff ran along his left with space and numbers. Laurent fed the ball to Pfaff, who then kicked it back to Laurent. Laurent scored into the bottom right corner of the goal to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead, which held up in the final 1:35 of the contest.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Feeley (Harriman, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) made three saves in the shutout win for the Cardinals, while sophomore goalkeeper Ian Roeloffs turned aside seven shots in the loss for Clarkson.