The men's soccer team, who won twice this weekend to improve their winning streak to five games, battled New Paltz on Friday to a 2-1 score, then repeated that score against Oneonta on Saturday.
Geneseo jumped on board early Friday as junior midfielder Judah Manetta found junior forward Kurt Jameson breaking on a throw-in. Jameson finished from six yards out, to give the Knights a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute.
New Paltz answered 14 minutes later, as freshman sensation James Altadonna scored his league-leading 11th goal of the season, tying the game at one.
The rest of the first half turned into a slugfest, as every 50-50 ball led to hostility from both sides, and neither team was able to break through for a score.
On the first possession of the second half, Manetta produced again. Just 19 seconds in, Manetta found junior Jason Tartick wide open breaking to the net. Tartick easily scored an open opportunity from 15 yards out and put Geneseo ahead for good. For the rest of the game, the Knights defense shut down the New Paltz offense, allowing just two shots on target in the second half.
Coach Mike Mooney was especially pleased with the way his defense and midfield contributed to the attack. "We were winning a lot of balls, which allowed us to then possess and attack," he said.
On Saturday, it did not take long for Geneseo to find their offense. Tartick scored his second goal of the weekend in just the fifth minute, thanks to an assist from senior midfielder Joe Walter.
Yet, following a rebound goal by Oneonta forward Danny Bruh just 9 minutes later, both sides tightened up defensively. It was not until the 72nd minute that Geneseo was able to strike again. Freshman Ian Mort converted on a left-footed strike from the 18-yard line that proved to be the game winner.
Geneseo is now 7-3 for the season, with a perfect 5-0, first place record in the SUNYAC. Their next game is away versus Morrisville on Saturday at 1 p.m.