Men’s Soccer (18-2-2)
Nov. 19th vs. St. Lawrence, W 2-1 OT2 (NCAA Tournament Round of 16)
Freshman midfielder
Justin Rivera (Bay Shore/Bay Shore) scored his fifth goal of the season with 3:31 left in the second sudden-death overtime period, giving Oneonta State a 2-1 win over St. Lawrence University in game one of the NCAA Division III Northeast Sectional, advancing the Red Dragons to the quarterfinals.
The Red Dragons, who lost to St. Lawrence on Sandy MacAllaster Field back on Sep. 3, handed the Saints its first loss of the season while extending its program record unbeaten streak to 18 games.
“It's been a pretty good run,” said Oneonta coach Iain Byrne following last Saturday's rematch with the Saints. “We were kind of hanging on in the first half, but we did have some chances. We are two evenly matched teams and either team could have won either game this season.”
Neither team scored in the first half with Oneonta playing with the wind. The Red Dragons got just one shot through to the SLU goalkeeper, which he saved, and while the Saints had some chances, Oneonta goalie
Maxwell Siegelman (Roslyn/Roslyn) was able to stop all four shots on goal.
The Saints came out strong to start the second half, with a header going just wide with 30 minutes left in the half and Siegelman knocked aside a shot on a restart six minutes later. The Dragons finally opened the scoring at the 73:08 mark as junior midfielder
Jeff Christian (Middletown/Minisink Valley) hit a hard shot from 22 yards out which went over a leaping goalkeeper and into the upper right hand corner of the net.
St. Lawrence came back to tie the game just over four minutes later off a corner kick play.
The Saints nearly went ahead minutes later in a wild scramble following a corner, but Siegelman managed to keep the ball out of the net while on his back and his defense cleared a second SLU scoring attempt. SLU nearly found the go-ahead goal again with 5:30 left in regulation, but his shot sailed outside the far post.
Neither team scored in the first overtime period with Oneonta getting off three shots to one for the Saints. Rivera's game-winning play came as a ball deflected off a Saint defender and he turned inside at the top of the penalty area and rifled a shot to the left corner for the win.
“I thought we needed one with the wind to have a chance, but we fought back and kept our composure,” said Byrne. “It was a great soccer game.”
Siegelman finished with nine saves for the Red Dragons. SLU had a slight 19-18 edge in total shots and the Saints had an 8-7 edge in corner kicks.
Nov. 20th vs. Rutgers Camden, W 2-1 OT2 (NCAA Tournament Round of 8)
When Oneonta State won the SUNYAC championship back on Nov. 5, the motto became six more wins. Well after it’s thrilling, come-from-behind, 2-1 win against Rutgers-Camden last Sunday in Canton, N.Y., the motto now is, “two more wins.”
The men's soccer team won its 14th straight game in thrilling fashion as junior
Alex Shkreli (Bedford/Fox Lane) banged home a loose ball in the box in the 107th minute to lift the Red Dragons to the victory. Oneonta will now join Calvin, Ohio Wesleyan and Montclair State in San Antonio during the weekend of Dec. 2-3 to play for a national title. The Red Dragons will face Calvin in its national semifinal with the game time to be announced in the coming days.
Shkreli's goal came off of an indirect kick after a foul was called about 25 yards out. Senior
Nicholas Lange (Freeville/Dryden) serviced the ball into the box that was headed toward the goal by classmate
Raymond Fitzpatrick (Garden City/Garden City). The shot deflected off the left post and headed toward the center of the box where Shkreli was waiting to put the ball in the open goal.
“It was a brilliant weekend,” said head coach
Iain Byrne of his team's performance in the two games. “This is a culmination of a lot of effort from so many people.”
Byrne added, “We dominated most of the match and we were rewarded for our efforts. We showed great heart all year and especially today.”
“We started off the tournament with one goal and that was to make it to the final four,” said Shkreli. “We played our hearts out and we showed what Oneonta State soccer is about this weekend.”
With the game locked in a scoreless tie, the Rutgers finally broke through in the 53rd minute. A Scarlet Raptor was able to handle a loose ball, turn and fire a shot that went over the Oneonta keeper's head into the back of the goal.
Oneonta nearly tied the score in the 66th minute off of a direct kick. Junior
Dan Josepher (Manorville/Eastport South Manor) sent a ball along the ground that was not handled by the Rutgers keeper cleanly. On the loose ball, Fitzpatrick hit the loose ball just wide of the left post.
Fitzpatrick would make the most of his next opportunity in the 77th minute on a loose ball that the Rutgers defense couldn't clear. On a counter attack, junior
Eric Fortier (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) broke free in the box to the left of the goal and sent a ball across that was knocked around in front of the goal. It was Fitzpatrick that followed the play in and blasted the loose ball by the keeper for the tying goal.
“For us seniors, the journey continues,” said Fitzpatrick after the game. “Our dream has become a reality and it's indescribable. This team has proven time-and-time again that it has heart and this weekend we showed it.”
Oneonta had all of the dangerous opportunities in the latter half of regulation and in both overtime periods. They finished the match with a 26-14 advantage in shots including 13 that were on goal.
The ball was mostly in the Rutgers end of the field for the opening 15 minutes. Oneonta had some looks, but nothing dangerous as the Scarlet Raptor defense held the Red Dragons in check.
The first real dangerous opportunity for either squad came in the 18th minute. Rutgers had the ball inside the box to the left of the goal and the ball was sent across the front of Oneonta keeper
Siegelman that hit the right post and deflected out. On the follow, another Raptor took a shot that sailed over the goal.
Seven minutes later, Rutgers rifled a shot that hit the left post and, on the ensuing action, a ball was headed over the goal.
The rest of the half was back-and-forth between the two teams with not many threatening scoring chances for either side. The two teams were deadlocked at 0-0 at the break.
This is Oneonta's first journey into the Div. III soccer tournament and it is making the most of it to say the least. Back in 1972, the Red Dragons played in the NCAA College Division national championship game. Prior to qualifying for this year's tournament, the men had not been in the NCAA tournament since 1975 and, at that time, they played in the Div. I tournament.
Byrne said, “It's great to have Oneonta on the national stage and we look forward to representing our school in San Antonio.”
Shkreli concluded, “We have some work ahead of us, but we'll be ready when they blow the whistle on Dec. 2.”
Men’s Basketball (1-1/0-0 SUNYAC)
Nov. 18th & 19th at Franklin & Marshall Tip-Off Tournament
vs. Kean University, W 78-58; vs. Franklin & Marshall, L 46-64
The Oneonta State men's basketball opened its 2011-12 season this past weekend at the Franklin & Marshall Tipoff tournament and came away with a split of its pair of games. Last Friday night, the Red Dragons ran away from Kean University 78-58 to advance into the championship game versus the host Diplomat. In a rematch of its NCAA first round game in 2010, Franklin & Marshall came out on top once again, 64-46.
Versus Kean, Oneonta held a 39-33 lead at halftime before using a couple of runs to eventually win going away. The Red Dragons started right away in the second half opening up a 15-point lead with a 14-5 beginning in the first five minutes of the half. A three-point basket by senior
Lukas Slivinsky (Brewster/Brewster) gave the Red Dragons its largest lead.
Slivinsky, along with freshman
Frankie Kelly (Brewster/Kennedy Catholic) each scored 16 points to lead Oneonta. The Red Dragons had a total of five players in double figures in the game.
Slivinsky hit a lay-up off of a steal at the 6:22 mark to give Oneonta a 20-point lead as they cruised in from there for the lopsided victory.
Juniors
Dan McLaren (Troy/Troy) and
Nick Sarchioto (Duanesburg/Bishop Gibbons) and sophomore
Dan Lee (Ballston Lake/Shenendehowa) all scored 14 points on the night. Lee hit 4-of-8 from behind the arc as Oneonta hit nine three-point baskets for the game.
In last Saturday night's game, the Diplomats opened up its 34-26 halftime lead with an opening 16-1 run to start the second half. Oneonta got only as close as 11 points after that when Lee hit a pair of free throws with 6:32 remaining in the game. Lee, who was selected to the All-Tournament Team, led the Red Dragons with 14 points while Kelly added 10 points.
Women’s Basketball (0-3/0-0 SUNYAC)
Nov. 19th & 20th at Kean University Tip-Off Tournament
vs. Lewis & Clark, L 58-59; vs. Salisbury, L 57-72
The Oneonta State women’s basketball team went on the road to play in the Kean University Tip-Off Tournament and came away empty handed as it dropped a pair of games this past weekend.
Last Saturday afternoon, the Red Dragons were defeated by Lewis & Clark University in the opening game of the tournament, 58-59. The game was tied nine times throughout the afternoon and the lead changed hands thirteen times. Oneonta tied the score and took the lead with :34 second left in the game on a jumper by senior
Madison Slagle (Rome/Rome Catholic) before Lewis & Clark was able to respond by hitting a three pointer and taking the lead for good.
Classmate
Samantha Szkotak (New York Mills/New York Mills) led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed 9 boards on the afternoon. Slagle added 12 points and freshman
Sarah Longto (Kingston/Kingston) grabbed 8 boards.
In last Sunday’s game versus Salisbury, Oneonta trailed by 1 at half, 25-26, and took the lead early in the second half going up by nine points with 14:27 to play in the game. After a Salisbury timeout, the momentum swung the other way and the Red Dragons started chasing the game. With 8:55 left in the game, the Red Dragons were able to tie the game up at 48, but were unable to take the lead again.
Sophomores
Kristin Pappalardo (Mahopac/Lakeland) and
Alyshia Crawford (Oxford/Oxford) led the Red Dragons in scoring with 11 apiece and Szkotak grabbed 10 boards.
Men’s Swimming & Diving (1-2)
Nov. 18th & 19th at North Country Invitational, 1st place with 642 points
The Oneonta State swimming & diving team traveled north this past weekend to participate in the North Country Invitational hosted by SUNY Potsdam. The men dominated the competition, finishing first with 642 points.
Sophomore
Ryan Walsh (Wingdale/Arlington) pulled off the trifecta to lead the men. Walsh was competing for the first time this winter and won 100 and 200-yard butterfly and the 200 freestyle.
Junior
Alex Miller (Oneonta/Oneonta) won both the 200 back and the 400-yard IM for the Red Dragons.
In diving, sophomore
Jermaine Miller (Elmira/Southside) and freshman
John Buckley (Highland Mills/Monroe Woodbury) went 1-2 in both events. Miller won the 1-meter and was second in the 3-meter while Buckley was second in the 1-meter while winning the 3-meter event.
Sophomore
Connor Vander Plaat (Chester/Warwick) was the only other event winner for the men as he took first place in the 50-yard freestyle.
Women’s Swimming & Diving (1-2)
Nov. 18th & 19th at North Country Invitational, 1st place with 732 points
The Oneonta State swimming & diving team traveled north this past weekend to participate in the North Country Invitational hosted by SUNY Potsdam. The women dominated the competition, finishing first with 732 points.
Leading the women was junior
Kristen Magliola (Shoreham/Shoreham Wading River), who won three events for Oneonta. She won the 200-yard IM, 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard breaststroke events to account for 48 individual points.
Sophomore
Chandler Shepard (Delhi/Delaware Academy) and freshman
Alyssa Brennan (St. James/Smithtown East) each won a pair of events. Shepard won both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events while taking second in the 200-yard freestyle. Brennan won both the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard backstroke.
Single event winners for the women included senior
Kaitlyn Secor (Beacon/Beacon), sophomore
Alexxa Poliachik (Niagara Falls/Niagara Wheatfield) and freshmen
Carly Cahill (Troy/Troy) and
Kara Garbarino (Latham/Shaker).
Secor won the 3-meter diving event and was fourth in the 1-meter. Poliachik won the 100-yard butterfly. Cahill was victorious in the 200 freestyle while taking second in both the 500-yard freestyle and 200 back. Garbarino won the 1-meter diving and was third in the 3-meter event.
Wrestling (1-3)
Nov. 19th in Red Dragon Invitational, 8th place with 67.5 points
Junior
Joey Hauser (Yorktown Heights/Lakeland) and sophomore
Ben Mikac (Lackawanna/Williamsville East) won titles at 149 lbs. and 133 lbs. respectively as the Oneonta State wrestling team placed 8th at the 2011 Oneonta Red Dragon Invitational. The Red Dragons had seven place winners in all including Hauser and Mikac.
Mikac, who was seeded third in his weight class, went 4-0 for the tournament, recording two major decisions and two decisions. Mikac defeated the No. 4 seed, Matt Spano of Gettysburg, in the finals 13-6.
Hauser was seeded second in his bracket and was 5-0 on the day. In the finals he knocked off top-seeded, Henry Stauber of Johns Hopkins 7-2.
Rounding out the list of place winners for Oneonta was senior
Jimmy Neal (Glens Falls/Glens Falls), juniors
Frank Cabibbo (Poughkeepsie/Roy C. Ketchum) and
Matt Eberlein (Levittown/Island Trees) and sophomores
Jake Smith (St. James/Smithtown) and
Stephen Provenzano (Islip/Islip).
Neal was sixth at 174 lbs. Cabibbo was fifth at 133 lbs. Eberlein was sixth at 149 lbs. Smith and Provenzano were fourth and fifth respectively at 197 lbs.
