MARCY, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's soccer team won the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) West Division Championship on Sunday 4-3 over Cazenovia in double overtime. Festus Alonge scored the game-winning goal for the Wildcats in the 103rd minute. With the win, the Wildcats advance to the NAC Championship game next Saturday. The Wildcats will host the championship game against the University of Maine at Farmington on November 6th at 1:00 PM.

THE GOALS: 

[ALL OF THE GOALS FROM THE NAC SEMIFINAL GAME] 

The Wildcats scored first in the game when Edgar Gomez took a ball to the end line on the right side of the box. Gomez crossed the ball to the center and found Abus Mohamed-Ali open for an open net right foot strike to put the 'Cats up one.

After scoring the first goal, Mohamed-Ali would set up the Wildcat's second goal with a beautiful pass from beyond midfield. Mohamed-Ali blasted a pass over the top of the Cazenovia defense,  finding Noah Fagnani who beat his defender. Fagnani put a great touch on the ball to control the pass and hit a hard grounder under the hands of the Cazenovia goalkeeper. 

Cazenovia answered back in the 59th minute on a corner kick from Dawson Andrews. Andrews hit a high lofted corner kick from the left that found Luke Schlachter in the middle of the box. Schlachter headed the ball just out of reach of SUNY Poly keeper Chase Coluccio to the top right, netting Cazenovia's first goal of the game. 

SUNY Poly answered the Cazenovia goal just a few minutes later on a penalty kick. Wakeley Banker took the PK. The keeper guessed left, Banker went right to make it a 3-1 game. 

Cazenovia made it a 3-2 game in the 67th minute when Luke Schlachter hit a high pass from 40 yard out into the middle of the box. Joaquin Romero made a great play with defenders all around him to get off a clean header that snuck past a diving Coluccio bringing the score within a one.  

The game-tying goal was simply a hustle play by Cazenovia's Miruho Kandagira who took the ball from 30 yards out, past three defenders to earn an open look. Kandagira bounced the ball right under the Poly keeper to knot the game up at three. 

The game-winner for the Wildcats would take nearly 14 minutes of extra time to come to fruition. The golden goal was a gorgeous strike by Festus Alonge who nailed a hard grounder from outside the 18 through the legs of a defender and past the outstretched arms of the diving keeper. The goal was facilitated by a great pass-in from Edward Greene who was credited with the assist. 

 [FESTUS ALONGE GAME WINNING GOAL FROM THE NAC SEMIFINAL GAME] 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES: 

• Festus Alonge was the game's hero. The senior scored the winning goal to send the Wildcats to the NAC Championship game in overtime. The goal was his fifth of the season.

• Abus Mohamed-Ali had three points for the Wildcats on a goal and an assist. The three-point performance brings his season total to 14.

• Wakeley Banker scored a goal on a penalty kick for the Wildcats. He now has 12 goals scored this season and 24 points. He leads the Wildcats in both stat categories. 

• Noah Fagnani scored for the Wildcats in the 32nd minute. He now has 11 goals this season. 

• Edgar Gomez and Edward Greene each had an assist in the game for the Wildcats. 

• Chase Coluccio made six saves in goal to earn his ninth win of the season.   

• Luke Schlachter had three points on a goal and an assist for Cazenovia. 

• Cazenovia's Joaquin Romero and Miruho Kandagira each scored a goal in the game.

• Dawson Andrews had an assist for Cazenovia. 

• Andrew McLean was on the losing end of the goalkeeper decision but had a great showing, making 10 saves in 103 minutes of play. 

UP NEXT: 

With a win by the University of Maine at Farmington Beavers in the NAC East Division, the Wildcats claim hosting rights for the NAC Championship Game. The game will take place on Saturday, November 6th at SUNY Poly's Wildcat Field. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 PM kick-off. The last time the Beavers and the Wildcats met this season the game ended in a 2-2 draw. The game will be streamed live on the SUNY Poly Sports Network (SPSN). 

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