Sophomore midfielder Holly Moore manuevers the ball past two defenders in a 2018 game against SUNY Plattsburgh. Moore had one goal this season against SUNY Oswego on Sept. 27 (Courtesy of Keith Walters).
Geneseo suffered a 1-0 overtime loss at the hands of their division rival, SUNY Cortland, in the SUNYAC Championship held on Saturday Nov. 9 in what was a bitter rematch after their prior meeting resulted in a hotly contested 1-1 tie after two overtimes.
The SUNYAC final featured the only two teams in the conference to not have suffered a loss to another SUNYAC team, which made this match even more intense as both teams fought tooth and nail to maintain their undefeated streak and guarantee a bid in the Division III NCAA Tournament.
In the end, Cortland managed to outwork the Knights despite their valiant effort. The Knights were in control during the first matchup between the teams in September, as they led in shots on goal 28-7 despite the final score. The Knights were not nearly as dominant during the championship, however, as they were outshot 15-9 and were often helped by the phenomenal performance of junior goalie Julia McDonald, who made seven saves on the day.
The game started out well for Geneseo as it seemed like the team might have a chance at a lead in the first few minutes when senior forward Domenica Piccoli won the race for a ball that had been lobbed in. Piccoli earned herself an open shot at the net for her efforts but, in a sign for what was to come for the Knights that day, her shot found its way to the crossbar, narrowly missing a goal.
The Knights would see few chances in the first half after that shot, as they were outshot 10-1 on what was a hefty wind advantage for the Cortland. Of note in the first half was the great work of McDonald in keeping her team alive as she made three saves, making sure her team had a chance to fight back with the wind in their favor.
The second half featured a rejuvenated Geneseo team as they outshot Cortland 8-4 in the second half, turning what had been a relatively lopsided affair into anybody’s game. Unfortunately for the Knights, this advantage in shots-on-goal did not lead to a goal and brought about another overtime against a Cortland team that proved itself to be a fierce competitor in the SUNYAC.
Overtime was a short-lived affair as Cortland ended the tie six minutes in, abruptly halting the Knights’ hard-fought comeback.
Genseo’s season was one for the ages as they finished with a 15-3-1 record, as well as having three members of the team make the Academic All-District team. Piccoli, sophomore forward Hannah Sullivan and senior defender Taylor Clar represent their positions for Geneseo.
In an interview, Piccoli made it clear that this loss was only a minor setback for the team. “It’s tough to lose a game like that after working so hard all season to get there, however, I am very proud of all our success this season and it is definitely not over yet.”
The formerly first-place Knights waited on the edge of their seats for an at-large bid in the national tournament, which they earned as it was announced Geneseo will be playing the University of Mary Washington in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Piccoli continued, adding that the idea of the Knights not getting a bid in the NCAA Tournament was never in question. “In terms of our chances for a bid, we were very confident we would receive one given all our success this season.”
The Knights’ season is far from over and the team’s confidence is still at a high level; there is a great chance the team can make it past Mary Washington and fight for the top spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Geneseo women’s soccer plays next at William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y. in a matchup versus Mary Washington on Saturday Nov. 16 in the first round of the D-III NCAA Tournament.