CORTLAND, NY – The nationally 14th-ranked Cortland men's soccer team clinched the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season title, and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, with a 2-0 home victory over Potsdam on Saturday afternoon on Holloway Field. The Red Dragons improved to 12-1-4 (7-0-2 SUNYAC), while the Bears finish the season with a 4-11-1 record (0-9-0 SUNYAC).
 
Sebastian Olego (Bedford Corners/Byram Hills) and Brody Timm (Beacon) each registered their first collegiate goals for Cortland. Owen Brant (Loudonville/Shaker) and Shay Daly (Elwood/John Glenn) provided an assist apiece. Jordan Ott (Fort Worth, TX/Southwest Christian) stopped one shot in goal for his 12th shutout of the season, tying the single-season program record set by Sean Kelly in 2018.
 
James Kelm made 14 saves for the Bears, and JJ Williams had the lone shot on goal for Potsdam.
 
Cortland nearly struck for the first goal in the opening minute of action, as Jake Hutter (Smithtown/Smithtown West) sent a through ball behind the Potsdam defense and Brant was able to run onto the pass and fire a shot, but Kelm made a diving save to his left to divert the ball behind for a corner kick.
 
The Red Dragons took the lead in the 13th minute, as Brant sprinted past a defender down the left side, and crossed towards the middle of the 18-yard area, where Olego headed a shot down into the bottom right corner of the net.
 
 Cortland had a great opportunity to double its advantage just before halftime after Aidan Miller (Savannah, GA/Richmond Hill) drew a foul inside the 18-yard area to win a penalty kick for the Red Dragons. However, Kelm made a solid diving save to keep the score at 1-0 into halftime.
 
In the 50th minute, Cortland was awarded an indirect free kick inside the Potsdam penalty area after an offense for timewasting by the Potsdam keeper, but Daly's shot on the ensuing free kick was blocked well by a defender.
 
Cortland thought it has scored an insurance goal in the 83rd minute, as Dylan Pederson (Earlswood, England/Reigate) headed in a corner kick, but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
 
With four minutes remaining, Sam LaMendola (Buffalo/Williamsville South) made an excellent defensive play to shut down a potential attack by the Bears, tracking back to win possession of the ball and winning a free kick. Two minutes later, Nolan Weik (Dryden) also won a free kick after a strong defensive play down the left sideline.
 
The Red Dragons capitalized in the 89th minute, as Daly lofted the free kick towards the middle of the 18-yard area, where Timm directed a brilliant header into the top right corner of the net for the 2-0 final score.