Men’s Soccer (16-2-2)
Nov. 12th vs. Baldwin Wallace, W 2-1 (NCAA Tournament First Round)
The Oneonta State men's soccer team made its first game back in the NCAA tournament a memorable one for the 622 fans that came to watch them at Red Dragon Field today with a 2-1 win over Baldwin Wallace in the first round. The Red Dragons are making its first NCAA appearance in the Div. III tournament and its first since 1975 when Oneonta competed in the Div. I tournament.
Last Saturday's win extended Oneonta's current unbeaten streak to 16 games, which ties a program record set during the 2006-2007 seasons. They also bettered its program record for home games without a loss to 25.
The Yellow Jackets struck quickly in this one, scoring the opening goal of the match in the fifth minute.
“We came out dangerous,” said Baldwin Wallace head coach, Reid Ayers. “We were moving the ball well and got the early goal, but it changed the tempo of the match.”
“We were nervous at the start,” said Oneonta head coach,
Iain Byrne. “After they scored, it settled us down and we started to dominate.”
The first half really belonged to Oneonta after the opening goal. The Red Dragons were relentless on the attack, finally breaking through in the 33rd minute.
Oneonta senior
Gary Laronde (Wheatley Heights/Half Hollow Hills) had an apparent breakaway before being fouled from behind by a Baldwin Wallace defender. The referee stopped the clock and awarded a penalty kick to Oneonta. Senior
Nicholas Lange (Freeville/Dryden) stepped up and converted the kick to tie the score at 1-1.
Six minutes later as Oneonta continued its pressure SUNYAC Player of the Year,
Eric Fortier (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) broke free after receiving a pass from senior
Matthew Brown (New Windsor/New Windsor). Fortier deposited a rocket just inside the right post for his team-leading 11th goal of the season to give the Red Dragons a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, the game was pretty even. Both teams had one dangerous opportunity each, but came away empty. Oneonta out shot Baldwin Wallace 16-12, but had a decided advantage in corner kicks, 11-1.
Senior
Maxwell Siegelman (Roslyn/Roslyn) made five saves for Oneonta while the Yellow Jackets keeper made four saves including a diving, one-handed stop in the 10th minute of the game off a shot by freshman
Justin Rivera (Bay Shore/Bay Shore).
“We are playing with a lot of confidence coming off a great season,” said Fortier. “Tomorrow's another game and we'll approach that game like we've approached every game this year.”
“It was a tough game and we were hoping to score another goal,” said Byrne. “We managed to finish the game strong and we'll be ready for tomorrow's game. It will be another tough match, but it's a chance to go to the final 16.”
Nov. 13th vs. Penn St. Behrend, W 4-0 (NCAA Tournament Second Round)
The Oneonta State men's soccer team will continue to dance after a 4-0 victory against Penn State Behrend in the second round of the NCAA Div. III tournament. With the victory, Oneonta advances into the sectional round of the NCAA tournament, which leaves them as one of 16 teams still playing. Its first year as a participant in the NCAA Div. III tournament, this is the farthest the Red Dragons have advanced since 1972, when Oneonta played in the College Division national championship game.
Oneonta already knows who it will be playing in the round of 16 next weekend. They will be matched against St. Lawrence, who defeated Western New England 3-2 in overtime last Sunday. The two met earlier this year at the Lotto Tournament hosted by the Saints and St. Lawrence came out on top, 3-2.
The Red Dragons continued to streak as the win was its 12th straight and 16th game overall without a loss. The 12 consecutive wins is the second longest winning streak in the history of the program, eight games shy of the program record of 20.
Oneonta opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the match on a play set up by Fortier. Fortier maneuvered around a couple of defenders off the right flank and sent a pass to a wide open
Jeff Christian (Middletown/Minisink Valley) in the middle of the field. Christian settled the pass and fired a shot that went over the goalkeeper's head, but under the cross bar for the 1-0 lead. The goal was Christian's first of the season.
Eight minutes later it was Fortier who was in the right place on a corner kick. Senior
Lange serviced the ball into the box, which junior
Alex Shkreli (Bedford/Fox Lane) flicked to Fortier, who then finished the play with a header of his own. For Fortier, it was his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
The Red Dragons capped the first half scoring in the 44th minute when
Dan Josepher (Manorville/Eastport South Manor) stepped up and converted a penalty kick. The kick was called after
Addison Straub (Manlius/Fayetteville Manlius) was fouled in the box by a Penn State defender.
“This was a great performance for us,” said Oneonta head coach
Iain Byrne. “Back to back games can be grueling but we managed to start fast and control most of the first half into a strong wind.”
Oneonta controlled the tempo in the second half and used its ball control style of play to use the clock to shorten the game. In the 76th minute, senior
Jonathan Kowalski (Glens Falls/Glens Falls) added a final goal for Oneonta. Kowalski was able to collect a loose ball that rolled across the box before putting a ball inside the right post.
Coach Byrne said, “We got our goals at the right times and that took the pressure off us and we could possess the ball for the second half. They are a good team and make it hard with their work rate, but our quality in the attacking third has been the key for us this season.”
“Our goal as freshman was to win the SUNYAC and make the NCAA tournament,” said senior
Raymond Fitzpatrick (Garden City/Garden City) after the game. “In four years we have come together and now we have our sights set on San Antonio. I couldn't ask for anything more in my final year.”
Women’s Basketball (0-1/0-0 SUNYAC)
Nov. 15th vs. Western Connecticut State, L 58-60
Despite having four players in double figures, the Oneonta State women's basketball team fell in its season opener to Western Connecticut State 60-58 last Tuesday. Sophomore
Kristin Pappalardo (Mahopac/Lakeland) led Oneonta with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field that included two from long range.
A
Madison Slagle (Rome/Rome Catholic) three-pointer gave Oneonta a 39-36 lead at the 16:27 mark of the second half. Western Connecticut countered with eight unanswered that included back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Colonials the lead for good.
Trailing by seven with just under three minutes to go in the game, the Red Dragons made a run and got to within two points at 55-53 on a Pappalardo lay-up. The Colonials made two free throws to go back up by four before sophomore
Alyshia Crawford (Oxford/Oxford) made a jumper with seven seconds left to bring Oneonta back to within two points at 57-55.
After a pair of free throws by the Colonials, Pappalardo drained a three with .2 seconds left to make the score 59-58. Western Conn. made 1-of-2 free throws and the clock expired on the rebound for the final of 60-58.
Oneonta trailed at the break 34-28. The Colonials hit seven of its 11 three-point shots to keep Oneonta at bay. Western Connecticut shot 48 percent from the field including 70 percent from behind the arc.
Pappalardo led Oneonta with six points on the strength of two long range bombs. The Red Dragons shot an even 50 percent in the opening half including 4-of-8 from downtown.
Slagle, sophomore
Grace Schilling (Northport/Northport) and senior
Samantha Szkotak (New York Mills/New York Mills) all scored 10 points each in the game. Szkotak added a game-high eight rebounds to go with five assists and two steals.
Men’s Swimming (1-2)
Nov. 12th at Hartwick, L 86-152
The men’s swimming and diving team went over to the other hill last Saturday and fell to the Hartwick Hawks 86-152.
Sophomore
Jermaine Miller (Elmira/Southside) was a dual winner, taking both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. In the 1-meter dive, Miller scored 246.7 points and in the 3-meter dive, he registered 233.25 points.
The Red Dragons also took first thru third in the 200 yard breaststroke. Junior
Scott Bertoldo (Attica/Attica) took first with a time of 2:24.71. Classmate
Alex Vaughn (Windsor/Windsor) came in second and sophomore
Benjamin Rosner (Dansville/Dansville) placed third with times of 2:31.79 and 2:38.01 respectively.
Women’s Swimming (1-2)
Nov. 12th at Hartwick, L 91-143
The women’s swimming and diving team went over to the other hill last Saturday and fell to the Hartwick Hawks 91-143.
A pair of freshman won their respective events for the Red Dragons. Diver
Kara Garbarino (Latham/Shaker) won the 1-meter dive event with a score of 180.50.
Alyssa Brennan (St. James/Smithtown East) won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:38.61.
The 400 yard freestyle relay team also took first with an overall time of 4:21.36. Members of the relay were
Samantha Pepe (Flushing/Mary Louis Academy),
Ashley Zotter (Vestal/Vestal),
Melissa Erickson (Silver Spring, MD/Academy of the Holy Cross) and
Emily Carter (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa).
Wrestling (1-3)
Nov. 12th at John Reese Duals at Wilkes College
vs. New York University, L 15-19; vs. Centenary College (NJ), L 10-25
vs. Plymouth State University, W 27-9
The Oneonta State wrestling team competed last Saturday at the John Reese Duals hosted by Wilkes University. The Red Dragons came away with a record of 1-2 on the day in its three matches. Oneonta defeated Plymouth State University in its final match of the day while falling to Centenary and NYU earlier in the day.
Sophomore
Ben Mikac (Lackawanna/Williamsville East) led the Red Dragons going 3-0 on the day. He recorded two decisions and one pin in his three matches.
