PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.-The Hobart College soccer team scored twice in the first seven minutes and held on to defeat Plattsburgh 2-1 in the first game of the 2019 Best Western Plus Cardinal Classic. With the win, the Statesmen improve to 3-0-0 on the season. It is the first time since 2011 that Hobart has won its first three matches.
 
Junior Liam Born opened the scoring for the Statesmen in the sixth minute with his first goal of the season. Junior Pete Critchlow and senior Nick Wigglesworth were credited with assists on the tally. Wigglesworth collected the ball near midfield and sent a long leading pass to Critchlow in the 18-yard box. Critchlow corralled the bouncing ball and slid a crossing pass across the goal to Born on the right post. Born buried the shot into the lower right corner of the cage.
 
Forty-four seconds later junior Kyle Mangold collected his second game-winning goal of the season. He picked up a rebound in front of the cage and chipped a shot past Ryan Wilson. Fellow junior August Martini was credited with an assist on the goal. Martini fired a free kick on cage from 30-yards out that Wilson stopped, but the rebound fell right to Mangold.
 
The Cardinals (0-3-0) turned momentum in their favor in the second half, outshooting the Statesmen 9-3. Noel Vidal cut the deficit to one on his first goal of the season. He collected a pass from Devin Lambe and blasted a shot across the goal line.
 
Plattsburgh finished the game with an 11-7 edge in shots. Hobart earned five corner kicks to the Cardinal's four.
 
Senior Brian Salazar earned his third win of the season making five saves in goal. Wilson made two saves in 90 minutes of action.
 
Hobart will be back on the field tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. The Statesmen will take on either William Patterson or Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.) in the championship game of the 2019 Best Western Plus Cardinal Classic.