Potsdam, NY - From start to finish, the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team produced plenty of pressure on Potsdam and that push gave the Golden Knights a 3-1 victory Friday afternoon at Clarkson Field.
The Golden Knights, who are ranked 10th in the New York region, moved to 5-2-1 overall, winning their fourth straight and extending their unbeaten streak to five games, while Potsdam dropped to 4-2-2 overall.
Within the first few minutes, Clarkson had several chances on the Potsdam goal, but the team couldn't put one up on the scoreboard until midway through the half. A direct kick from 30 yards out bounced around in the box for a few seconds before it found the foot of freshman Todd Coleman (Vestal, NY), who deposited the ball into the back of the net for his first collegiate goal. Clarkson held a 12-5 advantage in shots in the first half.
In the second half, the Knights continued to supply a lot of pressure up front and scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Junior Matias Pena (Port Washington, NY) weaved his way through the Potsdam defense from the sideline towards the middle of the field and sent a pass through to Scott Desmond (Enfield, CT) who then crossed it through up close to sophomore Andrew Ensinger (Rochester, NY) for his first goal of the season at 53:31. Less than six minutes later, sophomore Jeremy Toscano (Brockport, NY) carried the ball from the midfield all the way through to the penalty area, dodging Potsdam defenders along the way. Once there, he sent a pass over to Desmond and a foul was called, giving Desmond his second penalty kick opportunity of the season. For the second time, the sophomore delivered, giving the Knights a 3-0 lead at 59:03.
The Clarkson pace slowed somewhat in the middle of the half, allowing for Potsdam to take advantage. Nine minutes after the penalty kick, what appeared to be a harmless shot from 35 yards out turned into a goal for the Bears. Senior Tim Parks lofted a long shot off a set piece into the air, and the ball curved just slightly at the last moment as Clarkson goalkeeper Mike St. Croix (Watertown, NY) misjudged the flight, allowing the Bears to get on the board.
St. Croix finished with three saves for Clarkson through 76 minutes, 30 seconds, before being taken out for junior keeper Mike Davis (Owego, NY), who played the remainder of the game without having to make a stop. DJ Martin made six saves for Potsdam through 62 minutes, and Evan Smith made two saves in 28 minutes of relief for the Bears.
Clarkson held a 24-8 edge in shots while the Bears came through with a 6-4 lead in corner kicks.
