The men's soccer team entered last Friday's game riding a five-game winning streak. An easy win over Potsdam made it six straight, but an overtime loss to Plattsburgh on Saturday snapped the trend.
The Blue Knights completely dominated the Potsdam Bears in Friday's game, out-shooting them 25 to three. Senior Kyle Pucko scored the first goal of the game off a cross from freshman Joe Mort in the 25th minute. Geneseo scored again in the 81st minute when senior Jim Felluca blasted a shot in from 40 yards. Sophomore goalie Adam McMahon was only tested once, coming up with a save in the second half to preserve Geneseo's sixth straight shutout. The victory elevated the team to 6-1, with a 3-0 record in the SUNYAC.
Despite their recent success, the Blue Knights were not about to underestimate the Plattsburgh Cardinals, an imposing SUNYAC rival with an impressive 5-2-1 record. The Cardinals struck quickly, scoring off of a through ball in the fourth minute of the game. Senior Kyle Mitchinson and sophomore Nick Prosser helped Geneseo battle back when they teamed up in the 57th minute. Prosser crossed the ball past Plattsburgh's goalie to Mitchinson, who scored on the open net.
Plattsburgh notched another goal by knocking in a loose ball in the 84th minute, but the Blue Knights responded almost immediately with a goal of their own. In the 86th minute, sophomore Judah Manetta crossed to Ben Dobrzynski, who headed the ball past Plattsburgh's keeper.
The two teams entered overtime with the score knotted up at 2-2, but the Cardinals scored off of a cross in the 92nd minute to win it. McMahon was vigilant again in goal, recording five saves. Geneseo played tough for over 90 minutes, but was out-shot 16 to 9. The team's efforts are even more impressive considering they had five injured players.
Coach Mike Mooney was disappointed when his players allowed Plattsburgh to score their second goal. "To play as hard as we did and give up that goal was disheartening," he said. Still, he was proud of the way his squad played overall in spite of the recent injuries and Plattsburgh's size advantage. "I thought we had done a lot of good things in the match," he commented. "It was a good match and unfortunately we just came out on the short end." Mooney reemphasized that his team needs to play at its highest level against these tough SUNYAC teams.
The Blue Knights have two more tough opponents coming up as they prepare to visit Cortland on Friday and Oswego on Saturday. Mooney will use Saturday's defeat to his advantage as he looks ahead and tries to build upon the team's level of play. "In the long run, the loss might even help," Mooney revealed.