Utica, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly women's soccer team dropped a hard fought battle to the SUNY Potsdam Bears by a score of 1-0. Goalie Rylee Unebasami made seven saves, while Rylie Fischer and Kara Mertz had strong chances to get the Wildcats on the board. The loss drops the Wildcats to 1-1-1 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

SUNY Poly opened the match on the front foot, maintaining possession in the early minutes and working the ball up the sidelines with multiple throw-ins. Potsdam pushed back, creating their first dangerous moment in the 7th minute when Emma Wilson's shot was blocked inside the box, followed by back-to-back corner kicks. Grace Sheehan then had two looks on goal for the Bears, but both missed the target.

The Wildcats responded with some pressure of their own. Rylie Fischer came close in the 33rd minute with a shot that drifted just wide of the right post, their best chance of the half. SUNY Poly also earned a corner in the 32nd minute and forced Potsdam into several fouls in the midfield to disrupt play.

The Bears continued to create chances as the half wore on. Adrianna Orlando and Ella Hutchins both fired attempts from distance, with Hutchins' shot sailing high in the 28th minute. The most dangerous opportunity came in the 25th minute when Madison Wagner broke through and put a low shot on frame, but Wildcat goalkeeper Rylee Unebasami made a sharp save to keep the match scoreless.

Despite the back-and-forth action, neither side was able to break through before the whistle. SUNY Poly and SUNY Potsdam went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0.

The second half opened with SUNY Potsdam coming out strong, immediately testing SUNY Poly's defense. Adrianna Orlando was at the center of the Bears' attack, forcing a save from Rylee Unebasami in the 47th minute and adding two more shots on target within the next few minutes. Unebasami stood tall, denying each chance to keep the Wildcats level.

Potsdam continued to pile on the pressure. Orlando's strike in the 55th minute was again stopped by Unebasami, while Ella Hutchins and Meg Napoleon each sent attempts over the bar. The Bears nearly broke through in the 67th minute when Orlando rattled the right post with a powerful shot, but the rebound was cleared away.

SUNY Poly had a brief spell of offense in the 69th minute when Kara Mertz fired a shot and the Wildcats earned back-to-back corner kicks. A minute later, Abigail Hughes had a chance blocked inside the box, but Potsdam quickly regained momentum.

The breakthrough came in the 79th minute. Morgan Williams delivered a well-placed pass into the box, and substitute Alana Cunningham finished it off for the Bears, giving them a 1-0 lead.

Potsdam nearly doubled their advantage late, with Orlando continuing to pepper the goal. Unebasami came up with two more big saves in the 81st and 87th minutes to keep SUNY Poly within striking distance, but the Wildcats couldn't find an equalizer in the closing moments.

UP NEXT: The Wildcats hit the road for a faceoff with the SUNY Delhi Broncos on September 6th and 7:00 P.M.