QUINTIN JAMES
Staff Writer
The Fredonia men’s soccer team looked to start conference pay off with two wins when the team traveled to Geneseo and Brockport over the weekend.
Sitting at 1-5-1, it was important that men’s soccer got a couple of wins, as it would improve its chances in the SUNYAC conference. Over the past week, the Blue Devils’ practices have been very loose and the chemistry has grown.
Coming off a win against Nazareth and a draw against Geneva, momentum was on its side and the team seemed confident heading into conference play.
The Blue Devils traveled to Geneseo Friday to face off in the conference opener. Geneseo started off fast — they scored in the sixth minute off a free kick put into the box, where a Geneseo player booted it in the back of the net for the early lead. The Blue Devils controlled the game. They had possession all game and outshot Geneseo 16-7 and had more shots on goal.
Junior Joey Vucic had six shots, two of which were on net. Geneseo scored again in the 27th minute off another free kick but into the box where it was put into the net by a Geneseo player. They added another goal in the 73rd minute, and the Blue Devils had no answer to the counterattack of Geneseo.
The Blue Devils had to rebound quickly; they traveled to Brockport the next day to play a rare back-to-back. Again the story for the Blue Devils was controlling the game only to not get a win out of it. The Blue Devils outshot Brockport 20-15 including 10-8 in shots on goal. Junior Austin Santor recorded a clean sheet, as he had a key save in the final minutes, when Brockport almost scored on a beautiful free kick from 30 yards out. Junior Ryan Keller had three shots on goal in the tie.
“I’m so proud of our guys today,” Head Coach P.J. Gondek said after the game. “We were the better team and had the best three chances. This tie seems like a small victory, we really needed it.”
This tie seems like a loss but the way the season has gone for the Blue Devils, this could be a momentum shift and a start of a much needed hot streak.
The Blue Devils, who are struggling to get wins, at least get a tie out of the game. The Blue Devils entered Saturday looking for anything, as their season has been filled with disappointment. Even though Fredonia tied, it could be the boost the Blue Devils need.
The Blue Devils finished the weekend 0-1-1 during the Rochester trip but they can take a lot of positives from these games and build on them. The schedule gets harder from here as SUNYAC conference play continues; Blue Devils will be tested in the upcoming weeks.
The Blue Devils’ next game is on the road at Buffalo State, where they look to steal a win before coming back to Fredonia to start a three-game home stand.