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JOHN CULLEN
Special to The Leader
The Fredonia women’s soccer team looked to prepare for the start of SUNYAC conference play by taking on two nationally ranked opponents this past week.
On Tuesday, under the lights at University Stadium, the Blue Devils played host to the William Smith Herons, which are currently ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III polls.
The Herons showed why they are in the national spotlight, finishing the first half with a 14 to 1 lead in shots attempted, but freshman goalkeeper Kendall Owczarzak held the fort and keep it scoreless, making five saves in the first 45 minutes.
Kara Shue connected an airborne cross pass to score in the 59th minute to break the scoreless tie and put William Smith on the board 1-0, a lead they would hold onto to win the game.
William Smith controlled the tempo of play for the rest the second half, dominating the possession game and finishing with 34 attempted shots on goal.
Owczarzak finished with an impressive 13 saves, while Kristie Kleine managed Fredonia’s only shot on goal.
Facing tough opponents can often leave the goalkeeper with a heavy workload, and Owczarzak feels up to the challenge.
“ I have learned to keep my head up after being scored on and that we can only get better as a team from now on,” said Owczarzak. “The SUNYAC schedule will bring some challenges but nothing that we can’t handle as a group.”
Keeping the same mindset of playing the best available opponents to prepare for upcoming SUNYAC games, the Blue Devils traveled up the I-90 to Rochester to face the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers. Another nationally ranked opponent, RIT entered the game with a (5-0-1) record, good enough for a number 20 ranking.
The Tigers capitalized early as Anka Parzych opened the scoring in the 18th minute, the first of her two goals on the day.
A penalty kick awarded to RIT in the 28th minute did not help Fredonia’s cause, as Elizabeth May was able to convert and help the Tigers to a 4-0 halftime lead.
Owczarzak was credited with nine saves, as RIT went on to win 6-0.
Facing adversity early on in a season can be a great team-building experience. Senior defenseman Michelle Hale looks to take lessons learned from early losses into SUNYAC play.
“The past games we’ve had helped prepare us for our SUNYAC conference games this weekend. The teams we have played have challenged us to maintain a quick speed of play and stay organized as a unit,” said Hale.
With a talented and hardworking group alongside her, Hale feels their (1-6) non-conference record will not determine the rest of the season.
“ We are heading into SUNYACs with a 0-0 record and have the mindset of winning the conference going into every game,” said Hale.
The Blue Devil women’s soccer team looks to start fresh in SUNYAC play, and they will get their chance when they play host to on Friday at University Stadium.