The Yellowjackets’ victory on Saturday ended a two-game losing streak that was started by SUNY Geneseo.
“The biggest difference between the Ithaca and Geneseo games and our Oneonta game is that we played a complete game,” Head Coach Liz Monte said. “Our attack was efficient in creating the quality shots, and our defense was able to cause turnovers at critical times.”
Senior Cassie Glanton played all 66:28 minutes of the game in the goal and totaled 21 saves of 42 shots for her best game to date, according to Monte.
The Yellowjackets lost to the Blue Knights of SUNY Geneseo by a score of 17-12.
Offensively, senior Emily Riegel, sophomore Christina Montano, senior Rachel Hawley and sophomore Heidi Davies were assisted by sophomore Adrienne Sopinski and junior Lisa Aronoff to total 12 goals. Glanton made 13 saves against 39 shots, nine of which were netted in the second half.
“We lost mental focus for a period of time in the second half and, because of that, we were not following our game plan and the other teams were able to capitalize on that,” Monte said.
The April 2 win over Oneonta “was a complete team effort and that was the difference,” she explained.
The same can be said of Tuesday’s overwhelming victory over Alfred, as both starters and substitutes saw valuable game time by contributing offensively and defensively to earn another win.
The warm and sunny weather of April 5 didn’t feel fit for a massacre, but the Yellowjackets slaughtered the Alfred University Saxons anyway, defeating them 21-1 in Fauver Stadium and improving their own season record to 4-5.
Class year didn’t matter, as players from freshmen to seniors netted goals that contributed to the win.
Riegel and Hawley, along with seniors Jess Colbourne, Elizabeth Sack and Amy Hein scored at least one goal each.
Davies, Montano, Sopinski and sophomore Laura Giusto, junior Carrie Voycheck and freshman Bridget Hoffman all assisted the offensive melee totaling 36 total shots and 21 goals.
Defensively, the Yellowjackets held the Saxons to only five shots on the goal. Glanton made one save in the first half and freshman goalie Kendra Williams totaled two in the second.
In one triple-overtime game against SUNY Oneonta, the Yellowjackets defeated their opponents 15-14 to slash the Red Dragons’ record to 0-4 and boost their own to 3-5 overall.
Of the 15 goals scored by UR, Davies netted four, including the game winner, while Montano and Riegel each contributed three to the win. Hawley added her single goal at a crucial time, breaking Oneonta’s uninterrupted three-goal streak and tying the game with 90 seconds remaining in the second half. Other goals were scored by Giusto and Sack.
The Yellowjackets will spend the upcoming weekend at the stadiums of other Liberty League teams, facing No. 3 Union College at 4 p.m. on April 8 and No. 1 Skidmore College at 2 p.m. on April 9.
Anderson can be reached at janderson@campustimes.org.
