Senior forward Domenica Piccoli fights to win a ball back at midfield on Oct. 8, 2018. Piccoli, along with several of her teammates, were named to SUNYAC All-Star teams (Courtesy of Josie Kwan).
Although the season did not end the way the women’s soccer team had hoped, Geneseo is still proud of their performance over the last few months and graduates a senior class that has experienced monumental success, both individually and together. After falling in the SUNYAC Championship game and losing their first-round NCAA Tournament game, the team still finished with an impressive overall record of 15-4-1 and seven players named to the SUNYAC All-Star list.
Geneseo took on SUNY Cortland in the SUNYAC Championship game on Nov. 9 but lost 1-0 in overtime. Despite this, the team was still able to secure the women’s soccer program’s first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Going into their NCAA game, the senior class of players already had two past NCAA appearances under their belt and the 2017 squad made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen. The team had also led their conference in lowest number of goals allowed per game; they had allowed just 12 goals across nine conference games.
On the other side of the pitch, the Mary Washington Eagles were coming into the game with an 11-10-0 record and received an automatic qualifier after winning their Capital Athletic Conference championship.
Mary Washington took command of the face-off early, scoring their first goal in the opening half’s eighth minute. Five minutes later, the ball met the back of the Knights’ goal yet again on a corner kick that was just out of reach of Geneseo goalie Julia McDonald.
The first half-hour of play would pass without any shots on goal from Geneseo. Freshman forward Faye Higgins finally found the opportunity in the game’s 31st minute but wasn’t able to clear Mary Washington’s goalie. The Eagles went into halftime leading 2-0.
Mary Washington refused to cut back after the break, solidifying their 3-0 win just ten minutes into the second half. Geneseo had eight shots-on-goal throughout the game, rallying all the way into the final minute of play when first-year forward McKinley Skala sent one from just six yards away but still couldn’t make it past the opponent’s goaltender.
Geneseo head coach Nate Wiley was proud of his squad’s play in the postseason, despite the outcome not being what they had hoped for.
“We played a really good team whose record was not indicative of their ability,” Wiley said. “I had a lot of respect for [our team], for how hard they played even though it became pretty evident as the game wore on that we weren’t going to find the success that we wanted to find … They never gave up though and a lot of credit to them to continue to stick with it.”
Even with the early exit from the NCAA Tournament, seven Knights were honored with SUNYAC acknowledgements for their play this season. Senior back Taylor Clar was named the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year and made first-team alongside teammates McDonald, sophomore forward Hannah Sullivan, sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Griffin and senior midfielder Grace Dunnigan. Senior forward Domenica Piccoli and senior midfielder Sarah Loprieno were named to the second team.
While individual players received recognition, Wiley emphasized that in their postseason games, both the successes and defeats were a team effort. “We have very much been a team that lived and died as a group … One game doesn’t define our season, even two games don’t define our season. Just because they happened at the end doesn’t mean we didn’t have a great season overall.”
For the six players who are part of the class of 2020, Wiley will remember them for their growth over the last four years and for their hard work, both on and off the field. “[The seniors] brought a lot to the culture of our program. I think we’ve always had a pretty [good culture], but I think we’re that much better because of this class,” he said.
In terms of next season, Wiley is looking forward to building on what the program has achieved this year. He feels there is a strong group returning to the field next fall and believes they will experience continued success within the SUNYAC conference and in the national tournament.