ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Oneonta women's soccer team will begin its postseason run this Saturday, October 31, when the fourth-seeded Red Dragons host fifth-seeded Oswego in the second round of the SUNYAC Tournament at 2 p.m. on Red Dragon Field. General admission tickets (CASH ONLY payment) are $5 and tickets for children ages 5-12 are $3. Children ages four and under, and students from SUNYAC schools with a valid ID will be admitted free of charge.
Oneonta enters the postseason with an 8-3-4 overall record after putting together an impressive conference campaign, finishing unbeaten in SUNYAC play at 5-0-3. The Red Dragons earned the fourth seed and a first-round bye after closing the regular season with a ten-game unbeaten streak.
The Red Dragons finished the regular season on a high note with a 4-0 road victory over Alfred State on October 24. Senior Caroline Schimitsch (Little Neck, NY/The Mary Louis Academy) opened the scoring just 2:26 into the contest before junior Devyn Kelly (Wappingers Falls, NY/Beacon) and sophomore Eleni Schattman (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) added first-half goals. Junior Sara Kealey (Seaford, NY/General Douglas MacArthur) capped the scoring in the second half. Oneonta outshot the Pioneers 19-5, while goalkeeper Emily Hardison (Coram, NY/Longwood) recorded four saves to earn her sixth shutout of the season.
Offensively, sophomore sisters Bella Mattoni (Valhalla, NY/Valhalla) and Violet Mattoni (Valhalla, NY/Valhalla) have led the Red Dragons. B. Mattoni leads the team with seven goals, while V. Mattoni has contributed four goals and a team-high eight assists for 16 points. Kealey has also been a consistent scoring threat, recording five goals and three assists for 13 points.
Senior Brenna Mast (Croghan, NY/Beaver River) has added three goals and two assists, while Schimitsch, Kelly, and sophomore Caroline Schattman have each contributed to the team's balanced offensive attack. Oneonta has totaled 33 goals and 26 assists through 15 games, averaging 2.20 goals per contest.
Defensively, the Red Dragons have been equally impressive, allowing just 13 goals this season. Hardison has anchored the back line, posting an 8-3-4 record with six individual shutouts, a 0.86 goals-against average, and 46 saves. Oneonta has recorded eight shutouts as a team. Key members of the Red Dragon defense include seniors Dominique DiOrio (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) and Hannah McNally (Centereach, NY/Centereach), who have started all 15 games this season and played nearly every possible minute. The Oneonta defense has held opponents to 7.8 per shots game.
The Red Dragons will face an Oswego squad that advanced to Saturday's game with a 5-1 victory over SUNY Potsdam in Wednesday's first-round contest. The Lakers scored three first-half goals, then added two more after halftime to secure their spot in the second round. Oswego finished the regular season with a 6-7-3 overall record and a 3-2-3 mark in conference play.
Oneonta and Oswego did not meet during the regular season, setting up their first matchup this fall. The Lakers will look to carry their offensive momentum into Saturday's contest, while the Red Dragons will look to continue the strong form they established throughout conference play.
With an undefeated SUNYAC record and home-field advantage, Oneonta will look to defend Red Dragon Field and earn a spot in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, October 31, on Red Dragon Field. The winner advances to the SUNYAC Semifinals on Wednesday, November 4, at Cortland.
