CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland men's soccer team earned its first win of the season, breaking away from a 1-1 second-half tie with the final three goals of the match to defeat Merchant Marine Academy, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at Holloway Field. The Red Dragons improved to 1-1-1 with the win, while the Mariners fell to 1-2.

Sophomore Jack Coleman (Endwell/Maine-Endwell) led Cortland with three goals -- the first of his Red Dragon career. Graduate student Blake Aronson (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) added a goal, and freshman Cade Denlinger (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) and senior Anthony Ruggiero (Holtsville/Sachem East) each contributed an assist. Junior goalie Braden Melveney (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) registered four saves.

Senior Cole Blake (Parker, CO/Regis Jesuit) scored Merchant Marine's goal with freshman Max Farris (Clayton, GA/Highlands) picking up an assist. Junior goalie Chase Miller (Boise, ID/Capital) made three saves.

Coleman opened the scoring in the 26th minute, driving a clean header past Miller off a corner kick serve from Denlinger. The Cortland lead held until the 55th minute. Farris worked the ball on the left side near the end line and sent a pass into the box where Blake one-timed a shot for his second goal of the season to even the score at 1-1.

Coleman notched the game-winning goal in the 61st minute, finishing off a cross from the right side by Ruggiero with a one-touch shot from the middle of the box. Less than three minutes later, Coleman completed his hat trick when he drove a 20-yard free kick inside the right post that deflected off a Mariner defender for a 3-1 Cortland lead.

Merchant Marine had an excellent chance to cut its deficit to one in the 73rd minute, but a 23-yard free kick from Farris bent just wide of the left post. Aronson completed the scoring in the 83rd minute when he converted a penalty kick after a hand ball in the box by a Merchant Marine player as the Red Dragons secured the 4-1 victory. 

Cortland 4, Merchant Marine 1

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Merchant Marine: Cole Blake 1-0, Max Farris 0-1
Cortland: Jack Coleman 3-0, Blake Aronson 1-0, Cade Denlinger 0-1, Anthony Ruggiero 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, Merchant Marine 0
Shots: Cortland 14, Merchant Marine 13
Corner Kicks: Cortland 3, Merchant Marine 3
Fouls: Merchant Marine 17, Cortland 10
Saves: Chase Miller (Merchant Marine) 3 saves (4 GA in 90:00); Braden Melveney (Cortland) 4 saves (1 GA in 90:00)

Record after game: Merchant Marine (Mariners) 1-2; Cortland (Red Dragons) 1-1-1