Plattsburgh State's Esteban Loaiza (26) with the flying kick to tie the game at two in the 61st minute of the game. The Plattsburgh State Cardinals opened the home portion of their SUNYAC schedule Saturday afternoon in front of 175 fans, battling the nationally ranked No. 23 Oneonta State Red Dragons to a thrilling 2-2 draw. Coming into the match with a 4-3-2 record, the Cardinals faced a difficult challenge against the undefeated Red Dragons, who entered the contest at 7-0-1. Plattsburgh answered the challenge early, taking the lead in the 16th minute when Michael Rodriguez scored his second goal of the season. Rodriguez's strike gave the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage and energized the home crowd. The Cardinals held the lead for much of the first half before Oneonta found the equalizer late in the period. Milton Macias Magana netted his first goal of the season to pull the Red Dragons even at 1-1. The score remained tied through the remainder of the half as the teams headed into intermission deadlocked. Oneonta came out of the break with renewed energy and grabbed its first lead of the afternoon in the 58th minute when Drew Lennon scored his first goal of the season, putting the Red Dragons ahead 2-1. Plattsburgh responded quickly. Just three minutes later, in the 61st minute, Esteban Loaiza found the back of the net to tie the match at 2-2. The equalizer shifted momentum back to the Cardinals and set up an exciting final half hour. Neither team was able to find the game-winning goal despite several quality opportunities over the closing stages of the match. Both defenses stood strong as the contest finished in a 2-2 draw. With the result, Plattsburgh moves to 4-3-3 overall on the season. Goalkeeper Matthew D'Ippolito turned in a strong performance, recording seven saves. The Cardinals will return to action on Wednesday when they host the SUNY Delhi Broncos. Oneonta remains unbeaten and improves to 7-0-2. Goalkeeper James Cintron made one save for the Red Dragons. Oneonta will also be back in action Wednesday when it travels back to the North Country to face the Potsdam State Bears. The draw marked another impressive result for Plattsburgh, which showed resilience against one of the SUNYAC's top teams and a nationally ranked opponent. Gallery

Ogdensburg's Adam Rose made a jump save as he would get the shutout victory over the Hornets. PLATTSBURGH — The undefeated Ogdensburg Blue Devils continued their impressive season Saturday afternoon, scoring two second-half goals to earn a 2-0 non-sectional boys soccer victory over the Plattsburgh Hornets. The contest was tight through the first half, as both teams generated scoring chances but couldn't break through. Strong defensive play on both sides kept the match scoreless heading into halftime. Ogdensburg finally broke through in the 48th minute when Chase Rider scored the game's first goal, giving the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead. The visitors added some insurance in the 62nd minute when Ethan Thomas found the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0. From there, the Blue Devils tightened up defensively and prevented any Plattsburgh comeback attempt, preserving the shutout victory. With the win, Ogdensburg improves to 10-0-1. The Blue Devils will return to Section X play on Wednesday evening when they host the Massena Red Raiders. Plattsburgh falls to 3-5 overall. The Hornets will look to bounce back Monday when they travel to Malone for another non-sectional contest against the Franklin Academy Huskies. Gallery

The Plattsburgh Hornets celebrate their 5-set win over the Saranac Spartans. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Hornets showed resilience under pressure Thursday evening, overcoming a determined Saranac Spartans comeback to earn a dramatic five-set victory in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference volleyball action. Entering the match with a 6-2 record, the Hornets appeared in complete control early. Plattsburgh dominated the opening set 25-15, using consistent offense and strong net play to keep the Spartans out of rhythm. The Hornets carried that momentum into the second set. Saranac stayed within striking distance for much of the frame, but Plattsburgh surged late, closing on an 8-4 run to secure a 25-18 victory and a commanding two-set lead. With their backs against the wall, the Spartans responded impressively. Trailing 19-17 in the third set, Saranac put together an explosive 8-0 run to seize control. The Spartans finished the set on a remarkable 14-2 stretch, claiming a 25-19 win and breathing life into the match. The fourth set featured long rallies and momentum swings as neither team could establish separation. Saranac continued its strong play in critical moments, eventually pulling away for a 25-20 victory to even the match at two sets apiece. The deciding fifth set delivered the night's biggest drama. Saranac grabbed an early advantage and led 7-4 at the side switch, putting the Hornets on the brink of defeat. Plattsburgh battled back point by point, refusing to let the Spartans complete the reverse sweep. With neither team able to gain the required two-point margin, the set stretched beyond the standard 15 points and into overtime. The rivals traded points before the Hornets finally prevailed 19-17, sealing one of the most exciting matches of the CVAC season. The victory lifts Plattsburgh to 6-2, while Saranac falls to 4-3 despite its spirited comeback effort. Plattsburgh returns to action Oct. 5 against Saranac Lake, while Saranac will travel to face Saranac Lake on Oct. 6. For two sets, it looked like the Hornets were heading toward a quick victory. Instead, the Spartans forced a winner-take-all fifth set before Plattsburgh regrouped and escaped with a hard-earned win in a match that showcased CVAC volleyball's competitiveness. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Desiree Dubois (99) made the save on Anna Lee's shot to secure a 1-0 shutout victory. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Plattsburgh State Cardinals opened SUNYAC conference play in impressive fashion, defeating North Country rival Potsdam State 1-0 before 200 enthusiastic fans. The Cardinals struck early, taking the lead just seven minutes into the contest. Bailee LaFountain found the back of the net with a long-range shot that sailed into the top corner for her fifth goal of the season, giving Plattsburgh all the offense it would need. Plattsburgh controlled play throughout the afternoon, consistently pressuring the Bears' defense and generating 30 shots on goal. Despite the relentless attack, Potsdam goalkeeper Caroline Vines kept her team within striking distance, making 14 saves and turning in a strong performance between the posts. The Cardinals' defense was equally dominant on the other end of the field. Plattsburgh limited the Bears to just four shots on goal and prevented any sustained offensive pressure. Goalkeeper Desiree Dubois stopped all four attempts she faced to earn the shutout victory. LaFountain's early goal proved to be the difference as the Cardinals secured the 1-0 conference win and improved their record to 4-2-3 on the season. Plattsburgh will look to carry the momentum into Saturday's road matchup against Oneonta State. Meanwhile, Potsdam State falls to 3-5-2 and will return home Saturday to take on Cobleskill. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Tino Marino (6) knocks it past the Boquet Valley netminder for one of his four goals on Tuesday as the Hornets roll to an 11-0 victory. PLATTSBURGH-After spending the previous two weeks on the road, the Plattsburgh Hornets returned home Tuesday evening and put together one of their most impressive performances of the season, rolling past the Boquet Valley Griffins 11-0 in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference boys soccer action. The game stayed scoreless through the opening 24 minutes as both teams battled for an early breakthrough. That changed when Tino Marino found the back of the net to give the Hornets a 1-0 advantage. Once Marino broke the deadlock, the Plattsburgh offense took complete control. Over the next seven minutes, the Hornets erupted for four more goals. Aidan Drollette doubled the lead before Colin Walker added another tally. Raif Lautenschuetz then joined the scoring, and Marino capped the first-half surge with his second goal of the night. The five-goal outburst sent Plattsburgh into halftime with a commanding 5-0 lead. The Hornets wasted little time extending that margin after the break. Matt Whitbeck scored in the 45th minute to make it 6-0, and just two minutes later Lautenschuetz collected his second goal of the contest to push the advantage to 7-0. Marino continued his standout performance throughout the second half. The Plattsburgh forward scored again in the 51st minute before adding another in the 60th minute to complete a four-goal night and give the Hornets a 9-0 lead. With the outcome firmly in hand, Plattsburgh continued to press forward during the final 20 minutes. Jakob Gumlaw and Jaden Lin each added goals to round out the scoring and seal the Hornets' dominant 11-0 victory. The win improves Plattsburgh to 3-4 on the season as the Hornets prepare for a non-league matchup against the Ogdensburg Blue Devils on Saturday. Boquet Valley is still searching for its first win of the season, falling to 0-7 overall. The Griffins will look to bounce back on Thursday when they host the Lake Placid Blue Bombers in their next CVAC contest. Gallery