After a scoreless opening half of play, host SUNY Oneonta put three unanswered goals on the scoreboard en route to a shutout victory in a key women's soccer match versus New Paltz. The two squads entered the contest separated by two points at the top of the SUNYAC standings. Today's win for Oneonta (10-4-1/6-1 SUNYAC) created more breathing room in the conference while they also battle to secure the top seed for the SUNYAC tournament, which begins in two weeks.
The Red Dragons didn't waste any time in putting its first goal on the scoreboard in the second half, as freshman
Kayla Ceschini (Miller Place/Miller Place) scored her second goal of the season in the 49th minute. The play started in the center of the field with a pass from junior
Karly DeSimone (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) to the left flank to classmate
Alaina Greco (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa). Greco controlled the pass and then sent a cross into the box to a wide open Ceschini, who took a dribble to her right and fired a shot along the ground that went through the hands of New Paltz goalkeeper, Stephanie Vega.
Oneonta continued to control play and took advantage of two New Paltz (11-3-1/4-2-1) miscues on defense. The first came in the 73rd minute with sophomore
Elise Moinzadeh (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) benefitting from the error. On a ball that was sent high into the box, a New Paltz defender allowed the ball to deflect off her body away from her where Moinzadeh was waiting. Moinzadeh controlled the ball, turned and shot a ball that landed just inside the left post for her first goal of the season.
DeSimone scored the final goal for Oneonta in the waning minutes after she collected a ball that came from the New Paltz defense on an attempted clear. DeSimone took the ball and dribbled to her right inside the box before rifling a shot that found the top right corner of the goal.
Freshman
Rori Stark (Brewster/Brewster) started and finished her first game since Sep. 9 and made four saves in picking up her third win and third shutout of the season.
Oneonta will be off until next Friday when they travel west to Buffalo State for the first of its two final SUNYAC games of the season.