The Geneseo field hockey team’s season came to a disappointing end on Nov. 1 due to a loss
against conference rival SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC semifinals.
The team played well initially, riding a seven-game win streak into the middle of October.
Unfortunately, the team ended their season with three losses in a row. “We were definitely disappointed,” junior defender Tess Necaise said. “But we’re really proud of what we were able to do this season.”
The Knights made a name for themselves as they played some of their best games against
nationally ranked opponents. Among them were William Smith College, Skidmore College and the
University of Rochester. Despite the disappointing end, the women came together in a very significant way, which is important in looking to next season.
“We made much stronger friendships this year than in years past,” Necaise said. “By the end of
the season, almost everyone coming off the bench had more playing time. It says a lot about the way we progressed.” Despite a young defensive core, the Knights kept their goals against average to a measly 1.7 goals per game, a huge achievement.
As per usual with the field hockey team, the individual accolades amassed by the team were also
very impressive. Senior midfielder Morgan Maley, sophomore defenseman Julia Kim and senior forward Gigi Fasanello were named to the all-conference SUNYAC first team. In addition, freshman midfielder Jordan Penkitis and junior forward Gabby Clare were both named to the second team. Fasanello and Maley both hold school records for points, assists and goals in their respective careers.
“We really hope Gigi and Morgan will get recognized as All-Americans,” Necaise said. “Their stats speak for themselves. They deserve it.” Beyond that, freshman defense Kelly McKeveney is already almost halfway to beating the school record for defensive saves in a career with three years left to play, a promising sign for the future of the program.
Several first year and transfer student athletes were asked to take on big roles this season,
including goaltender Mia Ludwig, who split time with senior goaltender Nicole Gregg.
The team is still relatively young; the Knights will only have six seniors graduating this year, and
experience is a huge factor when it comes to team chemistry.
“We’re going to miss our seniors,” Necaise said. “But we’re still young. We’re competitive in this
league every year, so we can’t wait to be back in the mix next season. While the individual tributes are impressive, they weren’t enough to translate to postseason wins. It seems that the recipe for success in the postseason is team chemistry.
With such a young defensive core and a strong group of incoming seniors, all the Knights can do
is set their sights on next season. They will no doubt be put to the test, as the SUNYAC is always
competitive, but they now have a number of wins against nationally ranked powerhouses as motivation for what is possible next year.