CORTLAND, N.Y. – The nationally ninth-ranked Cortland men's soccer team clinched the SUNYAC regular-season title and the top seed in the upcoming conference playoffs with a 2-0 victory versus New Paltz Saturday afternoon at Holloway Field.

The Red Dragons improved to 14-2-1 overall and 8-1 in the league and will host the winner of the fourth seed versus the fifth seed in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov 3. Despite falling to 12-4 overall and 7-2 in the conference, the Hawks earned the second seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Graduate students Blake Aronson (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) and Nicholas Pfeiffer (Commack) each scored a goal for Cortland. Senior Anthony Ruggiero (Holtsville/Sachem East) and graduate student Lukas Rubio (Liverpool) contributed one assist apiece.

Junior goalie Braden Melveney (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) did not face a shot on goal in posting his ninth shutout of the season for the Red Dragons. Graduate student Marc DePasquale (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) registered six saves for New Paltz.

Aronson netted his team-best 11th goal in th 18th minute. Ruggiero managed two tight shots deep in the box that DePasquale saved, but Aronson knocked in the rebound at the right post. Pfeiffer added an insurance goal in the 66th minute. After a New Paltz foul deep on the right side, Rubio served the ball in front of the New Paltz goal where Pfeiffer drove a clean header past DePasquale for his second goal of the season.

The best chance for the Hawks to cut into the lead came in the 79th minute, but a header from freshman Gino Mazzella (Highland/New Paltz) just went wide of the right post. From that point, Cortland kept New Paltz from creating any dangerous chances in sealing the 2-0 win.

Cortland 2, New Paltz 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
New Paltz: no scoring
Cortland: Blake Aronson 1-0, Nicholas Pfeiffer 1-0, Anthony Ruggiero 0-1, Lukas Rubio 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, New Paltz 0
Shots: Cortland 13, New Paltz 5
Corner Kicks: Cortland 3, New Paltz 3
Fouls: Cortland 13, New Paltz 12
Saves: Marc DePasquale (New Paltz) 6 saves (2 GA in 90:00); Braden Melveney (Cortland) 0 saves (0 GA in 90:00)

Record after game: New Paltz (Hawks) 12-4, 7-2 SUNYAC; Cortland (Red Dragons) 14-2-1, 8-1 SUNYAC (ranked 9th nationally in Div. III)