The SUNY Plattsburgh men’s soccer team was handed its fourth loss of the season last Saturday as they were shutout 2-0 against Skidmore College at the Field House’s Soccer/Lacrosse Complex in what was a contentious game.
Skidmore opened the scoring early as junior forward Stanley Langyintuo netted his seventh goal of the season three minutes and 40 seconds into the first period.
Fourteen minutes into the opening half, the first yellow card of the game was handed to Skidmore’s Josh Ridenhour. Plattsburgh State’s senior forward Chris Robertson received a yellow card of his own five minutes later.
Fouls started to accumulate as both teams combined for 12 fouls by the end of the half, eight of which were committed by Plattsburgh State.
Senior midfielder David Braman scored the second and final goal of the game for Skidmore six minutes into the final period.
The fouls started to pile on for the Cards, with 12 committed by Plattsburgh State by the end of the half, but not before two yellow cards were assessed to the Cards’ Christian Garner and Jimmy Marchena and another to Skidmore, followed by two red cards—one to Skidmore’s Max Moran and another to Marchena.
“We were probably the architects of our own downfall,” head coach Chris Taylor said. “We made a couple of mental mistakes. Both goals were really preventable from our own point of view and fixable.”
Taylor said the Cardinals had trouble executing plays and turning the ball over, but that team put itself in good positions.
“It was a good learning game for us,” he said. “You never need a loss, but sometimes you need a little bit of a reality check that you’re not quite there yet.”
On the fouls and yellow and red cards assessed, Taylor said it was the product of the competitive atmosphere.
“It was two really competitive teams,” Taylor said. “I don’t think the referees handled it the greatest way. I don’t think they managed the game well enough, and I think they let the game get out of hand.”
Taylor didn’t agree with every yellow card handed out to either team, but said the red cards were well-deserved.
Senior forward Chris Robertson said frustration led to early foul trouble and the following cards handed out by the referees.
“We were probably the better team but maybe didn’t show it that day,” he said. “I think the accumulating fouls and some frustration I think [made it get] away from us a little bit.”
The Cards will look to bounce back from their loss in their last nonconference game of the season tomorrow against Clarkson University at 2 p.m. at the Field House.
