Coming off three consecutive SUNYAC wins, the Geneseo field hockey team faced with one of the toughest games on its schedule against No. 12 in the nation Skidmore College on Saturday Oct. 5. The match came in the middle of conference play when the Knights had been excelling. But Skidmore jumped out in front with two goals within the first minute of the game. The Knights found themselves trailing for the majority of the game.
It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes when the Knights put together two a and sent the game into overtime tied 4-4. The Knights rally did not carry into the extra period, as Skidmore ultimately scored the game-winning goal and took a 5-4 victory.
There is always a silver lining to tough games, though.
“This is the most competitive game we’ve given Skidmore since we added them on to our schedule,” Seren said. “It’s always good to play a team who is consistently ranked in the top 10 and goes deep into the NCAA tournament each year.”
Against Hamilton College on Tuesday Oct. 8, the Knights found themselves in a very similar situation. This time, however, Knights failed to hold onto an early lead, as Hamilton scored two late goals to send the match into overtime. The second straight overtime came with the same result from the previous game, as the Knights lost 4-3.
Despite the losses, the Knights are showing their ability to play at a higher level, as the matches were against top tier teams in the country.
“It shows we can compete with the best of them. Our team is clicking at the right time – they’re on,” Seren said. “They’ve worked hard to get here, and it shows.”
The Knights have been benefitting from stellar play on both the offensive and defensive end.
“[Senior Bridget McGovern] has stepped up huge for us on defense in the last several games,” Seren said. “She often matches up with the opposing team’s top player, and our success has been largely in part to her shutting them down.”
“[Sophomore Dayna Mercer] continues to anchor our defense in goal. She makes incredible saves game after game,” Seren said. “Offensively, [senior Kerry Hosford], [senior Kayla DeAngelis] and [sophomore Sarah Malinak] have been a force to reckon with. They read each other well, set one another up and know how to finish in the circle. It’s the best combo I’ve had on the forward line since I’ve coached here.”
The Knights return to SUNYAC play on Saturday Oct. 12 hosting SUNY Oswego.