Junior defender Rachel Walsh (pictured above) competes to chase down a loose ball in a 2-0 victory against Nazareth College on September 7. The win was one of many in a championship season for the Knights (Annalee Bannson/Outgoing Photo Editor).
Geneseo has a rich tradition of athletic success. For years, the Knights have proven themselves to be one of the premier athletic schools in the SUNY system. Much of this success has come at the hands of fall athletes. Year in and year out, fall sports teams have found a way to shake off the rust of the summer months and set the tone for the rest of the year. This fall season was no different.
The men’s soccer team struggled in their conference play, finishing with a conference record under .500 at 3-5-1. They were, however, able to surge past Buffalo State in the SUNYAC quarterfinals by a score of 2-0. In the semifinals, the Knights remained scoreless against SUNY Oneonta, losing by a score of 3-0.
The women’s soccer team fared much better. They finished with a record of 18-2-2, with an 8-1 conference record. The Knights defeated Oneonta in the semifinals to advance to the SUNYAC championship game against SUNY Plattsburgh. Senior forward Audrey Reid led the Knights to a 4-0 shutout victory, scoring two goals in the second half.
From there, the Knights moved on to the NCAA tournament. In the first round, the Knights defeated Penn State Berks in a nail-biting 2-1 overtime victory. The Knights then advanced past the second round by defeating Misericordia University thanks to a goal in overtime from junior forward Ashley Byrne. Their season finally came to a heartbreaking end after a 2-0 loss to Johns Hopkins University.
The men’s cross-country team had another impressive season as they finished at third place or above in all of their regular season meets. Senior Isaac Garcia-Cassani led the team to a fourth straight SUNYAC title and earned his way to the Division III National Championship, where he placed sixth out of 279 runners and the team placed 11th.
The women’s cross-country team had a strong season as well, finishing within the top five in all of their meets, including first at regionals and first in the SUNYAC tournament. In the DIII National Championship, senior Kristen Homeyer led the team to a sixth-place finish, placing 32nd out of 279 runners.
The women’s volleyball team had another successful season with an overall record of 23-11 and a conference record of 7-2. The team moved past SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC quarterfinals, defeating them in a 3-0 shutout. Their season came to an end in the SUNYAC semifinals after a 3-0 loss to SUNY Brockport.
With many of the teams advancing to their respective SUNYAC tournaments and several winning conference championships, the fall sports teams set the tone of success that other teams followed in the winter and spring seasons.