QUINTIN JAMES
Staff Writer
Sitting at 2-9-2, the Fredonia men’s soccer team was on the outside looking in the SUNYAC playoff race. If the team wanted any shot of getting back into the playoff race, it needed to come out and be aggressive.
Coming off a home stand where the Blue Devils came up short in a couple of close games, they look to finish the season off strong and hope for some help to secure a playoff spot. With season’s end looming and the Blue Devils outside the playoffs, each game gets more and more important.
Assistant Coach Kendall McFayden pointed out how the team was more successful when it came out boldly for a full 90 minutes instead of minutes at a time.
“We need to come out and be aggressive. When we show heart and come out strong, good things happen,” said McFayden.
The first game on this weekend road trip was against Plattsburgh, a team ranked 12th in Division III soccer. On paper, this game seemed like another loss for the Blue Devils, but they came out forcefully and fought like their lives were on the line.
Fredonia got on the board first; junior Ryan Keller scored a goal that deflected off a Plattsburgh defender in the sixth minute. Plattsburgh would respond in the 15th minute with a goal off a volley, but Keller responded with another goal in the 25th minute. A free kick from 25 yards out that hit the crossbar before going in gave the Blue Devils the lead in the first half.
The Blue Devils were poised for a win until Plattsburgh tied the game with a breakaway goal from Alexis Archilla, his 14th goal of the season. This was a blow to the Blue Devils as they were looking for the win, but a tie against a ranked opponent on the road is great for a team looking for points.
Head Coach P.J Gondek was pleased with his team’s effort as it battled hard against a good team.
“It was a great effort today,” Gondek said, “to get a point on the road against a nationally ranked opponent with a field player in goal.”
Freshman Jeremy Bari — a forward who converted to goalkeeper — made five saves in his first college start. He kept the Blue Devils focused in a game they needed to get points out of. Outshot 21-7, the Blue Devils showed a ton of heart in the face of pressure.
The team couldn’t rest on this tie because it had to travel to Potsdam for a very important game with playoff implications. The Blue Devils fought like they needed a win again, but this time they didn’t get the result they wanted; now their season is on life support. A 2-1 defeat almost spelled elimination for the Blue Devils as they fell to 2-10-3 on the season.
After Potsdam scored in the 17th minute off a turnover in the Blue Devil zone, Keller continued his hot streak as he scored to equal the game at one in the 32nd minute. Junior Parker Healey sent a cross into the box where Keller finished the job. The Blue Devils couldn’t hold the tie as Potsdam regained the lead five minutes later and wouldn’t look back.
This loss was a heartbreaker to the Blue Devils. The team played well enough to win again but again, came up with a loss. With Oneonta and New Paltz at home this week, the Blue Devils need to win both games and have four teams ahead of them mess up for the Blue Devils to have a shot at the playoffs.
The Blue Devils have a long road to travel, but it’s not impossible. Now every game is a must-win and if they can win out, a playoff spot could be possible.