Potsdam State Edges Fitchburg State, 2-0

Hanratty registers six saves for Falcons

PLATTSBURG, N.Y. (August 30, 2014) – The Fitchburg State men's soccer team dropped a tough 2-0 decision to SUNY Potsdam in game three of the 2014 Best Western-Ground Round Cardinal Classic Men's Soccer Tournament hosted by Plattsburg State.

In the first half, Potsdam State got on the board in the 41^st minute of play as junior forward Stephen Auyer (Oswego, N.Y.) gathered a corner kick off the foot of classmate Tom Benedetto (Queensbury, N.Y.) and fired a shot into the upper left corner for the 1-0 advantage.

The Falcons turned up the pressure late in the frame when sophomores Kristopher Tardy (Holyoke, Mass.) and Nicholas Masley (Oxford, Mass.) registered shots on goal only to be turned away by Bears goalie Nick Davies (Webster, N.Y.) as Potsdam State took a 1-0 lead into intermission.

Following the break, both teams traded scoring chances as sophomore forward Mauro Gimenez (Fitchburg, Mass.) and junior Franck Wansi (Lynn, Mass.) notched Fitchburg State's best scoring opportunities of the half.

The Bears doubled their lead at the 72:39 mark when junior Ben Firlit (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) received a through pass from Auyer and tucked the ball inside the far post for his first goal of the season, resulting in the 2-0 final.

Potsdam State controlled the offensive end, out-shooting Fitchburg State by a 14-7 margin, including a 10-6 advantage in shots on target. Between the pipes, senior Aidan Hanratty (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) made seven saves in the setback for the Falcons, while Davies notched six stops to earn the clean slate in goal for the Bears.

Fitchburg State (0-2, 0-0) returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Elms College for a contest starting at 7 p.m. Potsdam State (1-0-1. 0-0-0 SUMYAC) will host Johnson State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.