CORTLAND, NY – Owen Brant (Loudonville/Shaker) scored the game-winning goal for the second consecutive game, and the nationally 13th-ranked Cortland men's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over Oswego on Holloway Field in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Wednesday evening. Cortland improves to 8-1-3 (3-0-1 SUNYAC), while Oswego drops to 2-5-4 (1-2-1 SUNYAC).
 
Brant's goal was his third of the season, and he and Chimelu Blandin (Jacksonville, FL/Sandalwood) tied with a game-high two shots on goal apiece. Jordan Ott (Fort Worth, TX/Southwest Christian) made five saves in goal as the Red Dragons extended their school-record shutout streak to 729:44.
 
Tajay Ellis registered three of Oswego's five shots on goal, and Kyle Rose made nine saves for the Lakers.    
 
Oswego had the first opportunity to open the scoring in the 12th minute, as Ellis controlled a long pass, cut inside to the right, and curled an effort just over the crossbar.
 
The Red Dragons had two of their best chances in the 19th and 20th minutes, as Matteo Kanakaris (Glen Head/North Shore) had a shot from distance deflected just wide of the right post for a corner kick. On the ensuing corner, Blandin had his header saved well by Rose.
 
Cortland took the lead in the 22nd minute. After a Red Dragon throw-in was partially cleared by the Lakers, Brant collected the ball on the left side just inside the 18-yard area. The freshman started to dribble towards the goal line, before stopping and curling a shot into the top right corner of the net beyond a dive from Rose to make it 1-0.
 
Aidan Miller (Savannah,GA/Richmond Hill) made a solid defensive play to stop a potential break for Oswego in the 40th minute, tracking back to win possession of the ball for the Red Dragons and helping Cortland maintain its lead into halftime.
 
Ellis nearly equalized for the Lakers just four minutes into the second half, but Ott made a stellar kick save with his right foot to stop a shot that was heading into the bottom left corner of the net.
 
 The Red Dragons pressed to add an insurance goal in the 59thh minute, but Josh Carroll (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) had a shot blocked after a one-touch pass by Jake Hutter (Smithtown/Smithtown West) to knock down a cross from the left by Brant.
 
Hutter dragged a shot just wide left on the counterattack in the 70th minute, Blandin went just high and right on a shot from just atop the 18-yard area in the 86th minute for two of the Red Dragons' best chances of the second half.
 
The Cortland defense held Oswego to just one shot on target in the final 35 minutes, and Ott made a comfortable save on the Lakers' lone attempt on goal in that stretch, as Cortland secured the victory.