CORTLAND, NY – The 2024 season for the University of Rochester men's soccer team got off to a sour start as 13th-ranked SUNY Cortland emerged with a 2-1 victory over the Yellowjackets at Holloway Field on Friday afternoon.
 
Rochester (0-1), fell behind 2-0 at halftime to the Red Dragons, before first-year Johnny Makula cut the deficit in half in the 68th minute, shooting in a score from the center of the box off a feed from teammate Kamal Ibrahim.
 
Ten minutes later the Yellowjackets looked for the equalizer, but Pasquale Carusone's shot from in close along the left wing was saved by Cortland keeper Jordan Ott.
 
In the 83rd minute, Ibrahim had a shot from 12 yards in the center of the box tracking toward the right post, but Ott came up with another big save, preserving the one goal victory for the Red Dragons (1-0).
 
Cortland's opening goal came in the 31st minute, when substitute Matt Shultz blasted a shot just inside the left post past Santino Lupica-Tondo in the UR goal. Shultz had only been on the pitch two minutes, after subbing in at the 28-minute mark of the season opener.
 
With under four minutes to go in the opening half, Mateo Marra doubled the lead, converting on a 10-yard shot into the right side of the net.
 
Overall, Cortland maintained a slight edge in the game possession, leading 53-to-47 percent. The Red Dragons also ended in front in shots, leading 14 to six, with both teams ending with four total shots on frame. Cortland doubled up UR in corners as well, leading eight to four.
 
Lupica-Tondo made two saves for the Yellowjackets, while Ott finished with three stops for Cortland.
 
Rochester's next contest is its home opener on Tuesday evening at 7 pm, hosting SUNY Brockport at Fauver Stadium.