The Geneseo men’s soccer team improved their record to 4-3-1 in the most dramatic fashion on Saturday Sept. 23. The Knights managed to pull off a 2-1 win against a talented SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils—a win that took not one but two overtimes.
After a poor offensive performance during regulation, the Knights needed a little magic to come out with the win. Per SUNYAC rules, there is a maximum of two 10-minute overtime periods. At the end of the second overtime, the game ends in a draw if neither team has scored.
Both overtime periods are “golden goal”—meaning that once one goal is scored, the game is over and the scoring team wins, adding lots of drama and pressure to the end of the game.
With just 34 seconds remaining in the second overtime—and the upsetting reality of a great performance ending in a draw looming—one player stepped up: enter sophomore forward Bryan Wager.
Wager—who was featured in Sept. 21 edition of The Lamron as the “Knight of the Week”—scored the golden goal.
“[Junior midfielder] Gavin Gleasman won the ball,” Wager said of the big play. “It was planted across the middle and it was just me and the goalie.”
A precise shot at the upper left corner of the goal got past the goalie, securing the Knights’ fourth win of the season. Geneseo played well on defense, but struggled offensively. Although they had twice as many shots on goals as Fredonia, they found it difficult to capitalize on the chances they received.
“We were close to the goal all night, taking shots,” Wager said. “[We] had a lot of opportunities but we couldn’t score.”
As the Knights near the halfway point of their season, it is imperative for them to stay focused on a game-by-game basis. The team will face SUNY Oneonta on Friday Sept. 29 and then SUNY New Paltz on Saturday Sept. 30—both on the road.
Although Geneseo finds itself just one point behind second place in the SUNYAC standings, there are improvements the team wants to make.
“We need to just find a way to score,” Wager said. “Defense does a great job; Oneonta is a great team. We are going to have trouble finding opportunities to score, so we need to find some way to get the ball up the field.”
At the end of SUNYAC play, the top six teams will have an opportunity to compete in the tournament, with the top two seeds earning first-round byes.
Although the Knights didn’t have enough points to make the tournament last year, they certainly plan to be a part of this year’s tournament, which begins on Oct. 28.u
Sophomore forward Bryan Wager heads up the field in search of a pass during the Knights’ game on Saturday Sept. 23 against SUNY Fredonia. After two over time periods, the Knights earned a 2-1 victory, and they look to continue this momentum in upcoming games. (Ash Dean/Staff Photographer)