Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - Plattsburgh St.'s Jarred Antonucci was in the right place at the right time, scoring off a loose ball in the box with 3:51 left in the first overtime as the Cardinals escaped with a 2-1 victory over Castleton on Wednesday night at the Field House Soccer Complex.
Despite a 15-4 Plattsburgh advantage in shots through the first 45 minutes, the two teams remained scoreless at the half. The Cardinals finally broke through in the 62nd minute when Shaq Jackson-Lee, who had just entered the game, picked up a deflection off Castleton goalkeeper Nate Koenemann (Montpelier, Vt.) and fired a shot from just beyond the 18-yard box. Jackson-Lee's blast hit the top right corner of the net and gave Plattsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Castleton continued to fight as the Cardinals began to feel the pressure with 10 minutes left in regulation. After a couple close attempts, Bryce Kaler (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) put the Spartans on the board at 85:31. Kaler tied it up at 1-1 with a header off a cross from Dominic Heller (Burnt Hills, N.Y.), sending the game to overtime.
With 6:09 gone in overtime, Joe Aratari attempted a cross through the box, but the pass deflected off Koenemann and rolled toward the goal line. Antonucci was able to reach the loose ball and tap it over the line to give Plattsburgh the dramatic win.
Plattsburgh finished with 27 shots – nine of which were on target. Fabian Chaparro led the Cardinals with three shots on goal. Castleton had 11 shots on the evening. The Cardinals also held the advantage in corner kicks, 9-4.
Andy Heighington earned his sixth win with three saves for the Cardinals. Koenemann made seven stops for his first loss of the season. It also drops the Spartans out of the ranks of the unbeaten as they move to 4-1 overall.
Castleton returns home for a game Saturday at 5 p.m. against Lyndon St. as the middle portion of a tripleheader at Spartan Stadium featuring a football game and two soccer contests.
