Skidmore College hosted Geneseo field hockey on Oct. 27 and snapped the Knights’ six-game winning streak with a convincing 5-2 victory.
The game marked the Knights’ second loss of the month, but they finished October with a strong 7-2 record. Skidmore is ranked second in the NCAA North Atlantic Region, while Geneseo is ranked fifth.
Skidmore dictated play in the first half and led 3-0 by halftime. Head coach Jessica Seren said the team struggled adjusting to Skidmore’s AstroTurf field, citing that as one of the reasons for the team’s first-half woes.
Although Geneseo rebounded after the half, the Knights never threatened the Thoroughbreds as the teams alternated goals in the second half. Junior defender Bridget McGovern scored the first of those goals just over 55 minutes into the game, and freshman defender Lorelei Morrow scored the Knights’ second goal at the 69-minute, 42-second mark.
The loss became Geneseo’s last game of the regular season as the Oct. 30 matchup with Nazareth College was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy.
The Knights tallied their second-most wins ever in a season with a 12-5 record. Only the 2010 SUNYAC championship squad won more games.
It was an accomplished season for the Knights, who started slowly with a 1-3 record in their first four games. They cruised through the rest of the season, though, and put together two winning streaks of at least five games each. Geneseo was also 4-0 in overtime games.
Junior forward Kayla DeAngelis led the team in points (25) and goals (10) for the second straight year, and junior forward Kerry Hosford led the team in assists with eight.
Seren noted the team’s exceptional chemistry as one of the keys to its success. “The players support each other, and they know each other’s next moves,” Seren said.
Seren said the team’s defense was stellar all year and will look to continue its dominance going forward. She said if the team wants to accomplish its goal of winning a SUNYAC championship title, though, it must execute on its offensive opportunities.
Geneseo will play SUNY Cortland on Friday Nov. 2 in the first round of the SUNYAC Championships. The two teams met once in the regular season, and Geneseo prevailed 2-1 in overtime thanks to two goals from DeAngelis.
Cortland jumped on the Knights early in their first meeting, but Seren said that this time, “We want to apply the pressure early [and] catch them off guard.”