Women’s soccer shuts out Plattsburgh in SUNYAC playoffs

On Saturday, Oct. 28, Geneseo’s women’s soccer team took home a 4-0 victory against Plattsburgh in the first round of the 2023 SUNYAC playoffs.

The Knights went into the first half fast and strong, recording six shots on goal and two corner kicks within the first 45 minutes of the game. Of those six shots, Geneseo was successful with one, as senior midfielder Tricia Curran found the back of the net roughly 11 minutes into the first half. 

Just seven minutes later, senior forward Liv Raucci found the net after an attempted shot on goal by junior midfielder Lindsey Matthews, to put the team up 2-0 in the first half. Geneseo’s defense held up in the first as Plattsburgh only recorded one shot on goal before halftime.

With some great offensive and defensive plays, Geneseo drew several fouls, allowing them to dominate in both time of possession and shots on goal. Shortly before the end of the half, Plattsburgh was handed a yellow card which only added to their foul-riddled play.

The Knights were able to keep their momentum going into the second half. Geneseo’s offense made their way through Plattsburgh’s defense with ease. At 48 minutes, a corner kick was awarded to Geneseo, leading to a close shot. 

Three minutes into the second half, the Knights tallied their first shot on goal with an attempt by Matthews. The Cardinals’ defense was shaken as another shot was taken immediately after from senior midfielder Dana Schoeps. Just three and a half minutes after the attempted shot on goal, sophomore forward Abby Foster found the back of the net to bring the Knights' lead up to 3-0 early in the second period.

Geneseo’s defense was also a well-oiled machine, as they only allowed two shots on goal during the entire second half of the game. One shot was stopped by the last line of defense, junior goalkeeper Mollie Collins, who tallied one save in the match. The save by Collins during the game brought her season total to 51. 

Raucci, who was already having a stellar game, attempted another shot on goal later in the second half. Her attempt was followed by Schoeps, who once again put up another shot against Plattsburgh. At 57 minutes, Raucci successfully scored off an assist from Foster, further cementing the Knights lead at 4-0. Overall, Raucci tallied six shots on goal in the matchup and made two of them, accounting for half of Geneseo’s scores on the day.

At 82 minutes, freshman forward Grace Engle found room for an attempted shot on goal to finish out the game. The horn sounded with Geneseo coming out on top after shutting out the Cardinals.

The Knights will continue to play as the six-seed in the SUNYAC tournament as they look to claim a title in 2023.