CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior
Bryan Merlos (Harrison) scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Cortland men's soccer team to a 5-0 win versus Rochester Institute of Technology in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at Jets Field. The Red Dragons improved to 2-3 with the win, while the Tigers fell to 2-3.
Juniors
Tyler Marsh (Marathon),
Chris McBride (Northport) and
Thomas Nocito (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) also added goals for Cortland. Senior
Joe Buffolino (Commack) recorded two assists, and freshman
Daniel Friend (Deer Park) collected an assist for his first career point.
Junior goalie
Tim Beauvais (Hilton) registered seven saves for the Red Dragons, many on long shots, in posting the shutout. Sophomore Mark Reeves (Macedon/Palmyra-Macedon) turned aside three shots for the Tigers.
Cortland struck early, taking the lead just 44 seconds into the game. McBride sent a cross from the left side that Reeves briefly controlled. The ball squirted away and Marsh blasted a shot inside the left post for his second goal of the season. Buffolino then assisted on the Red Dragons' next two scores. In the 34th minute, he served a ball from near the right end line into the box where McBride sent a driving header past Reeves. Less than three minutes later, Merlos scored his first of the game on a 15-yard header off a long serve from Buffolino.
RIT's best chance to score came in the 10th minute when senior John Kaddo (Troy/Averill Park) broke in alone on Beauvais, who made a diving save on Kaddo's shot from the middle of the box, sending the ball over the end line.
Cortland tacked on two more goals in the second half. In the 73rd minute, Friend delivered a perfect cross from the right corner that Merlos drove into the left side of the goal with a clean header for his second of the game. Nocito finished the scoring in the 89th minute when he took a pass from Merlos and deposited a 15-yard shot inside the right post for his first goal as a Red Dragon.
Cortland 5, RIT 0
Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists)
RIT: no scoring
Cortland:
Bryan Merlos 2-1,
Tyler Marsh 1-0,
Chris McBride 1-0,
Thomas Nocito 1-0,
Joe Buffolino 0-2,
Daniel Friend 0-1
Halftime: Cortland 3, RIT 0
Shots: Cortland 17, RIT 12
Corner Kicks: RIT 9, Cortland 1
Fouls: Cortland 19, RIT 14
Saves: Mark Reeves (RIT) 3 (5 GA in 90:00);
Tim Beauvais (Cortland) 7 (0 GA in 90:00)
Records after game: RIT (Tigers) 2-3; Cortland (Red Dragons) 2-3