NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The Oneonta field hockey team dropped their SUNYAC Semifinal contest to No. 5 nationally ranked Salisbury, 6-0, Friday afternoon. Oneonta held Salisbury to only one goal after the first period before the Seagulls took control and scored four goals in the second, then added one more in the third. Salisbury will play Cortland tomorrow in the conference championship, after Cortland defeated New Paltz in the other semifinal matchup, 2-1 in overtime.
Senior
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) finished the game with 19 saves and became Oneonta field hockey's all-time career saves leader. Leib ended her career with 498 saves and surpassed Laura Milewczik's '87 previous record of 497 set in 1987. The senior keeper also finished her campaign tied for third in Red Dragon history with 10 career shutouts, sixth with 26 career wins, and eighth in career save percentage (.792).
New All-Time Career-Saves Queen! Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) pictured with the record-setting ball.
Before the start of the game, junior
Abigail Draper (Remsen, NY/Holland Patent) was awarded the SUNYAC Field Hockey Elite 20 award. The SUNYAC Elite 20, an award modeled after the NCAA ELITE 90 program, recognizes the essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among her peers.
Abigail Draper (Remsen, NY/Holland Patent) honored with the SUNYAC Elite 20 Award by SUNYAC Commissioner, Tom DiCamillo
Salisbury commanded the game off the start, but Leib was able to stop the first four shots they put on goal. The Seagulls eventually scored their first goal at 8:31 in the first quarter with a shot from McKenna Horner.
Leib stopped another two shots to end the first and another shot in the opening moments of the second quarter, before Horner added to her team's lead with back-to-back goals for a 3-0 lead at 17:00. After another pair of saves by Leib, Salisbury's Madelyn Reed recorded the fourth goal of the game at 20:05, then Kaitlyn DeModna made it 5-0 at 24:29 as the game went into halftime.
Shortly after the second half started, Salisbury scored the final goal of the game at 31:07 off the stick of Kelly Webber.
Oneonta's best chance to score happened at 52:54 off a penalty corner. Senior
Molly Miller (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) swept the ball to the top of the shooting circle to Draper, and Draper passed it to her right side to junior
Alexandra Howell (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East). Howell fired the ball inside the circle where sophomore
Marissa Stephan (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) redirected it towards the cage, but Merfie Lawson made the save for Salisbury.
Alongside Leib's 19 total saves, Draper recorded a defensive save at 54:32 in the final period. Leib tied the program record at 58:07, then became the sole leader with career save 498 at 58:47 on Sydney Block's shot.
Chasing Herstory: Leib stopping a shot in the second half of the SUNYAC Semifinals
Salisbury outshot Oneonta 39-2 in total shots, 26-2 on net, and they had an 18-1 advantage in penalty corners.
The game marks the end of the careers of
Gabby Alfinito (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland),
Olivia Bonelli (Kerhonkson, N.Y./Rondout Valley),
Caitlyn Caulfield (Albany, N.Y./Guilderland),
Molly Miller (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), and
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa).
Oneonta finished the 2025 season with a 9-8 overall record.
