ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT (2-4-1) men's soccer team was defeated by No. 2 SUNY Oneonta (6-1-0), 3-1 on Saturday afternoon on a sun-splashed Tiger Stadium.
Shots were 21-6 in favor of RIT, who took nine corner kicks to five for the Red Dragons.
Will Sokol (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) took the loss in net, making two saves. Nate Hanna picked up the win in net for SUNY Oneonta, making six saves.
The Red Dragons took an early lead on a goal in the seventh minute. Roberto Ventura slid a pass down tha channel that Jeremy Pantoni gathered and fired past Sokol.
Nick Simone (Hilton, NY/Hilton) had a chance in the 20th minute, but his shot was just wide of the Oneonta net. He took advantage of his second chance, tying the game on his third goal of the season in the 21st minute. He fired a shot from 15-yards out through traffic that found the back of the net.
Dante DeSisti (Colombo, Sri Lanka/South Lakes) had a chance to give RIT the lead in the 25th minute, but his header off a corner kick rang off the cross-bar.
The Tigers had another golden opportunity in the second half when
Jared Short (Grafton, WI/Cedarburg) fired a header off a corner kick that hit off the cross-bar, came down and was cleared off the line by a Red Dragons defender.
The Red Dragons took a 2-1 lead on a Tristan Battidtoni goal off an assist from Arkadij Raiz in the 68th minute, and put the game away with a goal from Witman Hernandez in the 89th minute.
RIT returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 25, when the Tigers begin Liberty League play at Hobart College. Kick-off in Geneva, NY is 4 p.m.
