The Plattsburgh State men’s soccer team is now entering the toughest stretch of the season, and going 1-2-1 over the past two weekends brings up serious questions.
In a two week span, PSUC dropped two important games against SUNY Oneonta (11-1-1) and SUNY Buffalo(12-1-2), producing only one win and raising many red flags. The Cards now drop to (9-5-1) on the season. They will look to regain form this weekend against Brockport and SUNY Geneseo.
Although the losses were close and gut-wrenching, the team is still keeping their hopes high for the final stretch of the season.
“Right now we aren’t looking at playoffs as much as just looking at the next game,” said sophomore defender Joe Gula. “Obviously it is in the back of our minds, but we have to make sure we take care of business this weekend and finish regular season play strong.”
Coach Waterbury has been adamant on taking it one game at a time, not faltering to the thought of the next opponent. The loss against the Oneonta Red Dragons was tough, but the silver lining of it all was the pressure the Cards kept on them. Junior forward Alex Price scored the lone goal for Plattsburgh in the 26th minute.
The players, however, knew what was to come and knew that they needed to move on to the next opponent.
“Heading into these final weeks of play, we are trying to eliminate as many problems on the field as we can,”Junior defender John LaTouche said. “It’s important we are consistent throughout the final stretch of games.”
After dropping the first match 2-1, the Cards bounced back with a 2-0 win against the New Paltz Hawks.
Senior forward Nicholas Laurent scored both goals for the Cards. PSU looked dominant on both ends of the field. They were well prepared, even after losing just 24 hours earlier.
This week, the team has emphasized preparation and timing. One week after going 1-1, they fell into bad habits on the field and went 0-1-1, against Buffalo State and Fredonia.
“We are focusing on working better as a unit as we go forward with the ball,”Defender Joe Gula said. “We are focused on becoming a better team one game at a time.”
The team is well aware that these final games are extremely important. Going through the SUNYAC is no easy task, and PSUC will need plenty of preparation for a championship run.
The Cards will look to get their high-powered offense back on track, as they scored zero goals this previous weekend.
“The preparation for these next few games has been intense as well as sharp,” defender John LaTouche said.”We are all on the same page of wanting to achieve something as a team.”
PSUC will take on Brockport, Friday October 20th in Brockport. The Cards must then shift their attention to SUNY Geneseo as they matchup on Saturday Oct. 21.
Email John Peralta at sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
