Oneonta looking to defend SUNYAC Men's Soccer title

ONEONTA, N.Y. - Today's lightning for the SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team came in the form of freshman Witman Hernandez(Huntington/Walt Whitman), who scored three consecutive goals to lead a second half onslaught in a 4-0 victory against visiting Fredonia.  The win for the Red Dragons moved them into the SUNYAC championship game this Saturday at top-seeded Cortland beginning at 1pm.
 
"We were tremendous in the second half today," said Head Coach Iain Byrne.  "We played some great soccer and the goals were the icing on the cake.  In the first half, it was completely opposite, as Fredonia caused us problems with all the high balls into the box as well as their pace on the counter attack."
 
Hernandez has been an instant threat all season long for Oneonta (14-5-1).  He is the team's leading scorer as a rookie and his three goals today brought his total to 11 overall this season.
 
"Witman has carried the attack all season long and was the star man again today," commented Byrne.  "We made him Captain today to recognize his performances and he ended up scoring a hat-trick.  So Saturday we'll make him the coach for the final and see what he can produce then!"
 
After a back-and-forth opening half of play where the shots were 8-7 in favor of the Red Dragons, Hernandez got things rolling with an unassisted goal in the 62^nd minute.  The goal was a bang-bang play after Hernandez redirected a service on a corner kick.  The Fredonia keeper made the initial stop, but it rebounded right back to Hernandez who headed it right back over the goal line.
 
Hernandez's second goal came 18 minutes later on a counter by Oneonta.  Sophomore Carlos Martinez (Brentwood/Brentwood) carried the ball down the right side and made a long crossing pass that found Hernandez in the box just outside the six-yard box.  Hernandez took one touch and sent a low shot right back across the front of the keeper into the right side of the goal.
 
Hernandez completed the natural hat-trick in the 83^rd minute with some fancy footwork that ended with the ball in the back of the goal.  This time it was senior Hans Purtell (Johnson City/Johnson City)that made a crossing pass to Hernandez in front of the six-yard box.  Hernandez took a couple of touches and freed himself of a defender before getting a shot off that found the left corner of the goal.
 
Sophomore Justin Cebollero (Commack/Commack) capped the scoring for Oneonta in the 87^thminute on a shot from 35 yards out.  Cebollero took advantage of a failed clearing attempt by the Fredonia keeper that he collected.  Cebollero sent a high ball over everyone that ended up in the empty goal.
 
Early on in the second half, Oneonta had a goal in the 54^th minute waived off on an indirect kick that didn't touch anyone before entering the goal.  The Red Dragons also had back-to-back shots by Hernandez and Purtell hit the cross bar in the 57^th minute.
 
Oneonta outshot the Blue Devils 21-9 including 13-2 in the second half.
 
Another rookie, freshman Ryan Wilson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) was solid in goal for the Red Dragons today.  He finished with four saves including a couple of diving saves to preserve the shutout, which was his eighth of the season.
 
Saturday's match-up with rival Cortland will be the fifth time the two will be meeting in the SUNYAC tournament overall and the third time in the championship game.  Oneonta is 2-1-1 all-time against its rival in the conference tournament with both victories coming in the championship game (1985 & 2014).  Oneonta is eyeing its third straight SUNYAC title and fifth in the last six years.
 
Saturday's victor will punch its ticket into the field of 62 teams for this year's NCAA tournament that begins Nov. 11-13 with first and second round action.  The national championship weekend is scheduled for Dec 2-3 in Salem, VA.