GENEVA, NY – Ryan Sewell's goal in the 14th minute provided all the scoring in a 1-0 victory for nationally 13th-ranked Hobart over nationally 22nd-ranked Cortland in a non-conference men's soccer clash on Sunday afternoon. Hobart improves to 8-2-0 on the year, while Cortland drops to 7-2-1 on the season.
Cortland finished the game with a 21-8 advantage in shot attempts, including an 8-2 edge in shots on goal. The Red Dragons also had nine corner kicks, compared to just one for Hobart. Three different players had two shots on goal for Cortland, including
Shay Daly (Elwood/John Glenn),
Diego Rivera (East Meadow/Cairo-Durham), and
Chimelu Blandin (Jacksonville, FL/Sandalwood).
Sewell's goal was his first tally of the season for the Statesmen, with assists provided by Arner Weldon and Quinn Phillips. Jake Hans registered seven saves for the shutout for Hobart.
Cortland's first chance of the game came in the 11th minute, as a shot from distance by Rivera was heading into the left corner of the goal but was blocked off the goal line by a Hobart defender. Just seconds later, Daly struck a shot that Hans was able to save with his fingertips off of the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.
Hobart made the most of its first shot attempt in the 14th minute for a goal off of a free kick. A pass from near midfield was floated towards the edge of the 18-yard area and fell kindly to Sewell, who struck a left-footed volley off the inside of the right post and into the back of the net.
Neither team had a shot on target for the remainder of the half, as Hobart held the one-goal advantage into halftime.
The Red Dragons threatened to equalize early in the second half, but Hans turned away a shot from the edge of the box by
Jack Pachla (Grand Island), and the Statesmen cleared away the ensuing corner.
A red card in the 61st minute sent Hobart down to 10 men, and Cortland immediately forced Hans into making two more saves to deny Blandin and Rivera to maintain the lead.
In the 73rd minute,
Aidan Miller (Savannah, GA/Richmond Hill) rifled a shot from outside the box towards the right corner of the goal, but Hans once again reacted well to save the attempt.
Cortland was reduced to 10 men for a red card of its own in the 79th minute for a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity on the edge of the Cortland penalty area, and Hobart's Griffin Couts missed just wide of the left post on the ensuing free kick.
The Red Dragons pushed forward in search of a tying goal, but could not register any shots on target over the final minutes, and Hobart was able to secure the ranked win.
