CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Junior Jake Keller (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) scored his team-high seventh goal of the season with one minute, 31 seconds remaining in regulation as the nationally 13th-ranked Cortland men's soccer team defeated New Paltz, 1-0, Saturday afternoon at the Stadium Complex. The Red Dragons improved to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the SUNYAC, while the Hawks fell to 4-5 and 0-2.

Sophomore Cam LaVallee (Schenectady/Schalmont) and freshman Nicholas Pfeiffer (Commack) assisted on Keller's game winner. Senior goalie Connor Young (Bayport/Bayport-Blue Point) made one save in posting the shutout. Senior goalie John Guzzo (Carle Place) registered three saves for New Paltz.

After an uneventful first half in which the Hawks outshot the Red Dragons, 5-4, each team created second-half scoring chances. In the 69th minute, Cortland freshman Todd Perlman (Jericho) sent a header just wide after a cross from senior Ma'Cain Spragling (Akron, OH/Brush). In the 81st minute, Spragling hit a one-time shot deep in the box that Guzzo denied at the right post. The best opportunity for the Hawks came in the 84th minute. Freshman Kevin Dooley (Pearl River) served a corner kick into the box where junior Sebastian Gordon-Somers-Archer (Forest Hills/The Kew-Forest School) ran onto a clean header but put the shot just wide right.

Keller netted the game-winning score in the 89th minute. Pfeiffer controlled possession on the right side. He sent a pass to LaVallee, who one-timed the ball to Keller, leading to a one-touch shot that beat a charging Guzzo and barely rolled over the goal line.   

Cortland 1, New Paltz 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Jake Keller 1-0, Cam LaVallee 0-1, Nicholas Pfeiffer 0-1
New Paltz: no scoring

Halftime: Cortland 0, New Paltz 0
Shots: Cortland 12, New Paltz 9
Corner Kicks: Cortland 7, New Paltz 3
Fouls: Cortland 13, New Paltz 12
Saves: John Guzzo (Oneonta) 3 (1 GA in 90:00); Connor Young (Cortland) 1 (0 GA in 90:00)

Record after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 8-1, 2-0 SUNYAC (ranked 13th in Div. III); New Paltz (Hawks) 4-5, 0-2 SUNYAC