After splitting a pair of away games this past weekend, the men’s soccer team advanced its overall record to 6-3-1 and its SUNYAC conference record to 3-1-0. The men defeated SUNY New Paltz 1-0 on Sept. 30 then fell 1-2 to SUNY Oneonta on Oct. 1.
The Knights opened the New Paltz match slowly, conceding a majority of the possessions and struggling to win the ball. Both New Paltz and Geneseo failed to capitalize on their goal-scoring opportunities throughout the half, and the period ended scoreless.
“[The teams] were playing on a smaller turf field,” head coach Dominic Oliveri said. “It really changed the game.”
According to Oliveri, Geneseo improved its pace at the start of the second half, coming out as “a completely different team.” The team controlled possession and outshot their opponents 12-7.
When the game was still scoreless in the final minutes, Oliveri admitted he was “getting a little nervous.” Senior Ian Mort collected an assist from classmate Colin Begy and netted the game’s lone goal. Senior Sam Murphy made two saves in aiding the 1-0 victory.
“I knew it was going to be a tough road game. Though it wasn’t our normal style of play, we grinded out the win. I’m pleased with the result,” Oliveri said.
The Knights battled the entire match against Oneonta the following day. Oliveri discussed the technical, tough style of play Geneseo was up against, stating, “It was very physical throughout the match. The play went back and forth the whole time.”
The physical competition left both sides scoreless at half. In the second half, the Knights made two attempts go off the post, and it left the team “a little discouraged,” Oliveri said.
This frustration translated into a goal concession with less than nine minutes left in the match. Geneseo answered in the 89th minute as freshman Neil Allen headed in a direct kick from senior Matt Solimano. Regulation time ended with a score of 1-1.
“We had a lot of momentum going into overtime,” Oliveri said.
That momentum ended quickly as Oneonta scored just five minutes into extra time, sending the Knights home in defeat. Murphy posted two saves in taking the 1-2 loss.
“It was a tough loss, but we played well. The boys realized the significance of the game as our toughest conference road game of the year. I was happy with their effort,” Oliveri said. “The boys kept their focus and intensity for two tough conference road games. We need to work on decision making in our offensive third and [having more] passing options.”
The Knights look to improve their record as they host a pair of games this week. Geneseo will play Nazareth College on Oct. 5 followed by SUNY Brockport on Oct. 8. The matches are at 4 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.