CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Anthony Ruggiero (Holtsville/Sachem East) scored his sixth goal of the season in the first half and the goal held up as the nationally 10th-ranked Cortland men's soccer team defeated Geneseo, 1-0, Friday afternoon in SUNYAC action at Holloway Field. The Red Dragons ran their winning streak to 11 straight games, improving to 11-1-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference. The Knights dropped to 4-5-2 and 1-3.

Sophomore Jack Coleman (Endwell/Maine-Endwell) assisted on the game-winning goal for Cortland. Junior goalie Braden Melveney (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) registered two saves in posting his sixth shutout of the season. Junior goalie Will Price (Plainview/Plainview-Old Bethpage) stopped three shots for Geneseo.

Coleman nearly put the Red Dragons on the scoreboard in the seventh minute, but his bending 19-yard free kick hit the right post and caromed out of danger. Ruggiero scored the game winner exactly 28 minutes into the game. Senior Mikey Lanzetta (Somers) served a free kick into the left side of the box. Coleman controlled the ball and slid a pass in front to Ruggiero, who directed a low shot just over the goal line before a Geneseo defender stopped the shot. Ruggiero had an excellent chance to make it a 2-0 score in the 41st minute on a loose ball, but Geneseo freshman defender Joe Vogt (Penfield) cleared his attempt off the line.

At the end of the first half, a Geneseo player was sent off with a red card, forcing the Knights to play the second half a man down. As Cortland controlled much of the early play in the second half, Coleman was denied by Price on a header off a corner in the 57th minute. As the game went deeper into the half, the Knights created two excellent chances. In the 73rd minute, Vogt hit the crossbar on a header from a corner kick serve, and junior Adam Astarita's (East Northport/John Glenn) follow-up shot went over the goal. Five minutes later, junior Justin Arilotta (Hilton) beat Melveney to a loose ball at the top of the box and slid a shot just wide of the left post. Geneseo continued to press for the equalizer, but Cortland denied the Knights another quality chance and held on for the 1-0 win.

Cortland 1, Geneseo 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Geneseo: no scoring
Cortland: Anthony Ruggiero 1-0, Jack Coleman 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, Geneseo 0
Shots: Cortland 17, Geneseo 14
Corner Kicks: Geneseo 4, Cortland 3
Fouls: Cortland 17, Geneseo 15
Saves: Will Price (Geneseo) 3 saves (1 GA in 90:00), 1 Team save; Braden Melveney (Cortland) 2 saves (0 GA in 90:00)

Record after game: Geneseo (Knights) 4-5-2, 1-3 SUNYAC; Cortland (Red Dragons) 11-1-1, 5-0 SUNYAC (ranked 10th nationally in Div. III)