The Geneseo women’s soccer team opened up conference play last week with two games against SUNY Fredonia and Buffalo State College. Both games carried into double overtime with scores of 3-2 and 0-0, respectively.
On Sept. 21, Geneseo faced off against the nationally ranked Fredonia Blue Devils. The Knights kept up with their opponents, and junior Amanda Gray scored the first goal off an assist from freshman Kelsey Raschke. Geneseo finished off the half with a 1-0 lead.
“I thought that we played extremely well in the first half and we created some opportunities,” head coach Nate Wiley said. “We were able to go into halftime with the lead and feel good about the way we were playing.”
The Knights were unable to keep the momentum going into the second half, however, as Fredonia scored back-to-back goals in the 60th and 68th minute to give them a 1-2 advantage.
As the game approached its conclusion, Geneseo junior defender Olivia Panepinto pulled off an unassisted goal in the 88th minute to force overtime.
Blue Devil junior Catie Hale ended the game, however, scoring the game winner at the 101-minute mark.
Wiley said he felt encouraged by the fact that team substitutes scored each of Geneseo’s goals.
“Every player that stepped on the field contributed mightily to the game,” Wiley said. “Players off the bench are starting level players for us.”
In general, Wiley saw improvements in this game from previous games.
“Overall, a good performance against a ranked opponent with a team we have battled with the last few years,” he said.
The next day the Knights hosted the Buffalo State Bengals. The game saw a lot of physical play but ended in a 0-0 draw.
Geneseo dominated the first half with six shots while limiting Buffalo to one and forcing their goalkeeper sophomore Linda Banfield to make two saves.
“We’re getting in on goal,” Wiley said of the first half’s scoring opportunities. “We just have to figure out the final piece of finishing off goal scoring opportunities.”
Going into the second half, however, Buffalo State played more aggressively, with seven shots and nine fouls compared to the Knights’ six shots and four fouls.
But the aggressive second half was to no avail as the half ended scoreless, as did the rest of the game after two overtime periods.
This week the Knights travel out to SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Oneonta to look for their first win in conference play.