Men’s and women’s soccer fail to capture wins against Oneonta
Graduate midfielder Justin Arilotta recorded the Knights’ only goal over their two contests against the Oneonta Red Dragons on Saturday, Sept. 30. Photo Courtesy of GeneseoKnights.com.
On Saturday, Sept. 23, Geneseo’s men’s soccer team attempted to defend the castle against the undefeated Red Dragons of Oneonta, while the women’s soccer team traveled downstate to take on their SUNYAC foe.
The men’s team entered the game looking for their third straight win after taking down Mount St. Mary’s and Fredonia in their previous two games. The Knights had their hands full though, taking on the twelfth-ranked team in the country in Oneonta, who entered the game undefeated.
Geneseo came out of the gate aggressively and attempted to prove that they did not fear their opponent. After a fast-paced start by the Knights, Oneonta opened up the scoring with a goal in the twenty-fifth minute. The Red Dragons beat Geneseo’s defense with some elusive moves down the field and a strong shot on goal.
The Knights needed to respond quickly, as they didn’t want to be down to such a good team for too long. After a few close calls, Geneseo was finally able to rally and get some offense going downfield. Right on the line of the penalty area, junior forward Aidan Lodie was able to draw a call against Oneonta. From there, the team was easily able to score on a penalty kick by graduate midfielder Justin Arilotta in the thirty-fifth minute of the first half.
With the score now tied after an exciting start to the game, the Knights were able to keep the pressure on the Red Dragons for the remaining time before the half. A corner kick off of a header by graduate midfielder Liam Mulderig was a near-goal with time expiring, but the SUNYAC rivals went into the break tied at one.
The second half of play was mostly Oneonta applying heavy pressure as they maintained possession of the ball for nearly 45 minutes. In the eighty-eighth minute, however, the Red Dragons were able to score the eventual game-winning goal to take the lead and win, 2-1.
Entering their matchup with Oneonta, the Geneseo women’s soccer team had won their previous two matchups, as well, against RIT in a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 win to open up SUNYAC play against Fredonia. The Knights looked to continue their streak with a third consecutive victory while the Red Dragons, who had avoided a loss all season and sat at 4-0-2, entered the SUNYAC matchup.
Upon the start of the game, Geneseo immediately took control offensively for most of the opening half. The Knights were able to record six shots on goal along with four corner kicks in the first 45 minutes. Despite plenty of shots and corner opportunities, the Knights were unable to score, leaving the match scoreless at halftime.
The second half of play remained eerily similar for the Knights offensively. They were able to take nine shots, with seven of them being on-target. Oneonta, on the other hand, was able to get some offensive movement going with two shots on the net, with one of them nearly becoming the deciding goal. The shot proved to be the last real chance for either side, as the match ended in a 0-0 tie.
Despite the team recording a draw, junior goalkeeper Mollie Collins was able to have a quiet day in the net with just one recorded save to complete the shutout as the Knight’s record moved to 5-1-2.
Looking ahead, the men’s team will be diving into more SUNYAC competition, looking to improve their current 1-1 conference record with a win in New Paltz against the Hawks on Saturday, Sept. 30, on the road.
Meanwhile, the women’s team will have the same goal in mind, as they sit at 1-0-1 in conference play. They will also be playing against New Paltz, but at home at College Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30 at noon.