St. Lawrence Men Fall 2-1 in Heartbreaker in OT in Sweet 16

 
St. Lawrence University’s Mike Manfredi (5) controls the ball while being defended by Oneonta State’s Justin Rivera (30) in front of the NCAA logo painted onto the hillside.  The Saints lost their first game of the season, falling to SUNY Oneonta 2-1 in double overtime in the NCAA Sectional semifinal (or national Sweet 16).  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Mark Provost (25) lets a shot go after getting past SUNY Oneonta’s Raymond Fitzpatrick (18).

November 19: Freshman midfielder Justin Rivera 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 Sunday's quarterfinals. The Red Dragons, who lost their season opener to St. Lawrence on Sandy MacAllaster Field, handed the Saints their first loss of the season and ran their own unbeaten streak to 18 games. Oneonta will play the winner of a game between Babson and Rutgers-Camden in Sunday's quarterfinal game at 1 p.m. "Its been a pretty good run," said Oneonta coach Ian Byrne following 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." "For some reason we came out a little bit slow," said Saint coach Bob Durocher. "It took a while to get in rhythm, but we started to move the ball better in the second half. It is tough to lose, but the guys had a helluva season. People stepped up all season long, and for what we lost due to injuries, getting this far surpassed by expectations." Neither team scored in the first half with Oneonta playing with the wind. The Red Dragons got just one shot through to SLU goalie Brian Abernethy, which he saved, and while the Saints had some chances, Oneonta goalie Max Siegelman was able to stop all four shots on goal. The Saints came out strong to start the second half, but Brian Gilloran was just wide on a header with 30 minutes left in the half and Siegelman knocked aside a shot by Sam DeMello on a restart six minutes later. The Dragons finally opened the scoring at the 73:08 mark as junior midfielder Jeff Christian hit a hard shot from 22 yards out which went over a leaping Abernethy and into the upper right hand corner of the net. St. Lawrence, which finishes its season 18-1-1, came back to tie the game just over four minutes later as DeMello scored his 14th of the season off a corner kick play. JJ Tipton made a short corner kick out to senior Mike Manfredi about 20 yards out and Manfredi sent a ball into the goal area which DeMello headed past Siegelman to tie the game at 77:20. 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 when Gilloran went in alone, 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. Siegelman finished with nine saves for the Red Dragons while Abernethy had six for the Saints. SLU had a slight 19-18 edge in total shots and the Saints had an 8-7 edge in corner kicks.

November 13: Junior midfielder Sam DeMello scored his second goal of the game 4:08 into overtime to lift St. Lawrence University's men's to 3-2 win over Western New England University and into the round of 16 in the 2011 NCAA Division III men's soccer championship. The Saints, 4-0 winners over SUNY Maritime in the first round,  advanced for the fourth straight time, and earned their first second round win since 2005 when they reached the sectional finals. SLU went into the Western New England game 1-5-0 since 2002 with the lone win a 3- 1 victory over Rochester in 2005. DeMello put the Saints in front 4:12 into the second half as Golden Bear goaltender Domenick Villani couldn't control the ball in a one on one leaping contest with Saint back Brain Laird. The ball bounced off Villani's hands and to DeMello, who one-timed a shot from 12 yards out to make it a 2-1 game. Western New England came back to tie it, scoring off a restart with 5:16 to go in regulation. The Saints came up with the game winner following a throw in deep in the WNE end. Andrew Bednarsky took the ball after Brian Gilloran's throw and cut back across traffic. DeMello moved to the middle and took the ball on the fly, burying the ball inside the far post for the game winner. "I can't say enough about what Sam DeMello has meant to this team," said Saint coach Bob Durocher. "With the guys who have been injured, he has taken the team on his back and they have rallied around him." The Saints found themselves trailing for the first time in 14 games when Western New England scored on a quick strike as Jake Bartnik took a pass from Shawn Fitzpatrick and broke in one-on-one against Saint goalie Brian Abernethy. Barnik's shot eluded Abernethy's dive and snuck inside the near post, snapping a 1370:20 scoreless streak for the Saint defense 16:51 into play. St. Lawrence, playing with the wind in the first half, had several good runs, but had trouble keeping the ball from going long. The Saints finally cashed in and tied the game with 3:55 left in the first half following a throw-in deep in the Golden Bear's end. Shaka Pilgrim controlled Yanick Brown's throw and sent the ball to the top of the penalty area. Freshman Mark Provost then hit a shot from about 22 yards out which cleared WNE goalie Domenick Villani's leap and curled under the crossbar for Provost's second goal of the year. "We knew this was going to be tough on the road. We had to dig deep, and we got excellent support from the bench all weekend. We got three goals off the bench this weekend and that is the kind of thing you need at this time of the year," said Durocher. "This is the kind of game that brings you together as a team and that's what you need at this time of the year...it isn't going to get any easier from here. Western New England, which went into the game ranked 19th nationally outshot the Saints 14-11 and had seven corner kicks to one for the Saints. Abernethy made three aves while Villano had one for the Golden Bears. "My hats off to Western New England," said Durocher. "They're a good team and they battled hard. They played well with the wind advantage in the second half, and I thought we might be done a couple of times, but we were able to pull it out. "We look forward to getting the next round at home, and hopefully we will get the same fan and alumni support we had here in Springfield in the next round," Durocher said.

Vassar keeper Ryan Grimme (1) reaches out and snatches the cross before St. Lawrence University’s Yanick Brown (24) could get a head on it.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence’s Alex Laird (8) heads the ball out of trouble after a Clarkson indirect kick inside the 18-yard box.  St. Lawrence won their final regular season game over Clarkson 1-0 for their 12th shutout in a row.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Alex Vozzella (12) tries to beat St. Lawrence’s defender J.J. Tipton (27) right outside of the 18-yard box.  Brenton Jones scored his second goal of the season early in the first half and St. Lawrence University's men's soccer team completed just the third undefeated, untied regular season in program history with a 1-0 win at arch-rival Clarkson Saturday afternoon.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

October 29: Junior midfielder Brenton Jones scored early in the first half for top-ranked St. Lawrence University, but the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team buckled down and denied the Saints of any further scores as the Golden Knights finished off their season with a 1-0 defeat Saturday afternoon at Hantz Turf Field. The Golden Knights concluded 2011 with a record of 5-11-1 overall and 2-6-0 in the Liberty League. St. Lawrence, ranked first in the nation for much of the season, moved to an unblemished 16-0-0 and 8-0-0 in conference games. St. Lawrence had a few chances on the Clarkson frame in the early going but most were pushed wide or blocked away until the 14th minute. Sam DeMello awkwardly tapped a pass as he was being defended, not getting much on the ball, and Clarkson defender Curtis Scobie (Orangeville, ONT) was able to get a head on it, knocking the ball straight up in the air. The second touch came to Jones, who was able to make a quick move around the Clarkson defense and then hit a hard shot between the near post and goalkeeper Scott Stuart (Ottawa, ONT) to make the score 1-0 at 13:01. Though the scoring shot was St. Lawrence's fourth of the first 13 minutes, the game was played somewhat more evenly through the remainder of the half. The Saints were able to possess the ball and bide their time to make runs at the Clarkson goal, content to wait back and take advantage of what was available. The strategy worked much of the time, but the Knights were occasionally able to break the tactics and make quick attacks. Clarkson senior Tobin Boomer (Louisville, KY) was playing up top by himself and was able to take a pair of shots, but both were from well away from the net, though one was hit hard enough that Brian Abernethy was forced to his knees to knock a hard shot down. In the second half, St. Lawrence again was able to hold on to possession of the ball, this time not allowing Clarkson any scoring chances. The play was mostly in the midfield and away from the net, but the Saints did get eight shots in the second half, including a few off corner kick chances that nearly pushed the score beyond a one-goal differential. Stuart finished with five saves for Clarkson and Abernethy needed to make just one stop for St. Lawrence. The Saints finished with a 14-4 edge in shots and a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks.

October 25: Senior Tobin Boomer (Louisville, KY) scored two second-half goals to lead the Clarkson University Soccer team past cross-town rival Potsdam State 2-0 in a Tuesday night game played at Hantz Turf Field. The Golden Knights, who extended their unbeaten streak over the Bears to four games (3-0-1), snapped a four-game losing skid to improve their record to 5-10-1. Clarkson closes out the season hosting archrival St. Lawrence University, the number-one ranked team in the country, on Saturday in a 7:00 p.m. game under the lights in Potsdam. The Knights, who were shut out in their previous four games, had several opportunities to end their scoring drought in the first half against Potsdam (7-8-3) with eight shots over the opening 45 minutes. The Knights finally got on the scoreboard early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Boomer finished off a cross from sophomore Angelo DiFrancesco  (Penfield, NY) with a header to the far post. Boomer and DiFrancesco connected again in the 66th minute. Boomer took a pass in the box from DiFrancesco and scored on a low shot for his third goal of the season. Clarkson outshot Potsdam (7-8-3), 18-4. The Bears held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. Junior goaltender Scott Stuart (Ottawa, ONT) was called upon to make just two saves (one each half) in recording his first victory of the year with the shutout.
 

Clarkson keeper Saverino Spagnolo mishandled a ball at the peripherals of the penalty box and Plattsburgh's Mike Payne picked up the loose ball.  It would lead to a penalty shot goal moments later.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson goalkeeper Saverino Spagnolo edges out of his net in an attempt to cut the angel against a SUNY Geneseo attacker.  The shot went just wide of the opposite goalpost.
(Tom Emburey photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Andrew Bednarsky (7) redirects the ball that would get by Plattsburgh goalie Andy Heighington which gave the Saints a 3-0 lead. (Foote photo)  Game Gallery

November 2: For a while it looked like the Plattsburgh State men’s soccer team was going to pull off an upset, but looks were deceiving as top-seeded Oneonta scored four unanswered goals in the second half to top the Cardinals, 4-2, in the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament at Red Dragon Soccer Field.   Pat Shaughnessy gave Plattsburgh a 1-0 lead at 26:44, burying a crossing pass from Tom Greene. The Cardinals protected the one-goal lead for the remainder of the half, despite begin outshot 12-3.   Freshman Tyler Kessler put the Cardinals up by two in the 65th minute when he one-timed a pass from Joe Aratari just inside the right post.   With Oneonta (13-2-2) trailing 2-0 in the 68th minute, the Red Dragons broke through on a goal by junior Ian Tenzer off a corner kick. Tenzer was on the receiving end of a service by Dan Scott 68:34 into the match.   From that point things got ugly for Plattsburgh (13-5-2) as Oneonta scored three more goals in a span of 9:49 including a pair by Dan Josepher. Justin Rivera tallied the Red Dragons’ third goal – a shot that beat Plattsburgh goalkeeper Andy Heighington to the far right post.   Oneonta fired 24 shots while Plattsburgh finished the day with just four shots. The Red Dragons also held an 11-5 edge in corner kicks.   Wednesday’s game marks the final game for Plattsburgh seniors Pat Shaughnessy and Jordan Reeve. Shaughnessy posted a career-year in his final season as a Cardinal. The Plattsburgh native is a two-time All-SUNYAC honoree, receiving second team nods in 2008 and 2010. Shaughnessy’s team-leading 14 goals and 33 points are a career high.

October 29: The last time Potsdam came to Plattsburgh, neither team was able to find the back of the net. This day was different as the Cardinals netted two goals in each half to defeat Potsdam, 4-0, in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Quarterfinals. Plattsburgh struck early as Pat Shaughnessy scored his 13th of the season off a cross from Tom Greene at the 10:32 mark. Mike Payne made it 2-0, beating Potsdam goalkeeper Joe Glackin to the left side at 29:49. Wade Goehle was credited with an assist on Payne’s goal. Freshman Nate Economou was the star of the second half, scoring his first collegiate goal at 50:37 from Nick Parella.  Exactly ten minutes later Economou struck again, this time from Greene. The Cardinals (13-4-2, 4-3-2 SUNYAC) dominated with a 20-7 margin in shots. Potsdam (7-9-3, 4-3-2 SUNYAC) took four corner kicks, while Plattsburgh took three. Plattsburgh goalie Andy Heighington made three saves in his seventh shutout of the year. Glackin stopped six of the 10 shots he faced in the Potsdam loss.

Clarkson keeper erino Spagnolo is unable to knock down a close-range shot in the first half, leading to Plattsburgh's first goal.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Plattsburgh's Nate Economou (17) and Clarkson University's Tyler Rodrigues (6) scramble at midfield.

SUNY Potsdam's Chris Mack tries to redirect the ball with a head flick in front of SUNY Canton goaltender Sankung Sillah (30) during Wednesday's scoreless battle in regulation. Alessio Vitale scored in a 1-0 overtime win for Potsdam. The Roos best chance came late in the first half on a shot just wide to the right.
(Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

SUNSUNY Potsdam's Alessio Vitale tangles with SUNY Canton's Kevanaugh John (7).  Vitale scored Potsdam's winning goal.

October 29: The SUNY Potsdam men’s soccer team fell in the Quarterfinal round of the SUNYAC Tournament to Plattsburgh State by the score of 4-0. Nate Economou scored two goals for the Cardinals and Tom Greene added two assists.   The Cardinals (13-4-2, 4-3-2 SUNYAC) opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Pat Shaughnessy scored his 13th goal of the season. The score came off of a cross from Greene and Shaughnessy beat junior goal keeper Joseph Glackin. Plattsburgh State would add another score in the 30th minute as Mike Payne took a pass from teammate Wade Goehle and beat the keeper to the left side. The half would end with the Cardinals owning a 12-5 lead in shots. Plattsburgh State wasted little time in adding a third goal, when Economou got by the Potsdam defense and scored 5:37 into the second half. Economou would add his second goal of the game in the 61st minute and was set up by Greene.   Freshman Eduardo Figueroa had four of the team’s seven shots but couldn’t beat goal keeper Andy Heighington who made three saves to secure the shutout. Despite the loss, the Bears (7-9-3, 4-3-2) wrapped up one of their most successful seasons in recent memory and have a bright outlook for the future. Potsdam won five more games than they did all of last season, and improved their conference record by three wins. The Bears were led in goals by a duo of talented freshman in Figueroa and Stephen Auyer. The two ended the year with six scores apiece. Talented sophomore Alessio Vitale ended the season as the teams assist leader with five and junior Glackin made 89 saves. However, it was the veteran leadership that Head Coach Adam Parker credited following the game. "We made tremendous strides forward," said Parker. "Our newcomers played well but the leadership of our upperclassmen was our strength this year. Guys like A.J. Ramirez and Chris Mack's presence enabled us to get to this point."

October 25: Clarkson University (5-10-1) scored two second half goals to defeat the SUNY Potsdam men’s soccer team(7-8-3) 2-0 in the Bears’ regular season finale on Tuesday night. Tobin Boomer scored both goals for the Golden Knights. The teams battled to an even scoreless draw in the first half. Potsdam had a flurry of chances just before the break, but was unable to get on the board. Bears junior goalkeeper Joe Glackin (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) made two saves in his 45 minutes in goal. Clarkson controlled the second period from the outset, forcing Potsdam junior goalie Jake Gyder (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) to make a big save just 1:43 into the second period. The Golden Knights attack didn’t let up and Angelo DiFrancesco set up a Boomer header at the 48:59 mark. Clarkson shutdown the Bears offense and pinned them back in their own half for much of the remaining contest. At 65:14, DiFrancesco connected with Boomer again for the game’s final tally. Gyder made six saves in the second half. Clarkson goalie Scott Stuart made two saves through the entire contest to earn the shutout. The Golden Knights outshot Potsdam 18-4, including a 10-1 advantage in the second half. “I wasn’t really happy with the effort,” said Bears Head Coach Adam Parker. “The first 20 minutes we showed a lot of life and then after that we were chasing them the rest of the game. We had no real leadership on defense. They were winning every first ball and put us on our heels to get the goals they needed.  I told the guys that this isn’t acceptable.” Parker reminded his players the position they are in. “They have to understand that we’re possibly three games from the NCAA Tournament and they have to dream a little bit,” said Parker. “No one thinks that we can do it, but you’ve got to believe and dream that you can.” The Bears make their second postseason appearance in program history, the first since 2002, on Saturday, Oct. 29.

University of Maine’s Kyle Corrigan (5) looks to advance the ball through the center of the field as SUNY Canton’s Austin Johnson (12) defends.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

Action between SUNY Canton and Presque Isle.

October 22: The SUNY Canton men’s soccer team lost to the University of Maine at Fort Kent 2-1 Saturday afternoon in Canton in a battle of two highly skilled teams. The Roos entered the weekend ranked 11th in the latest USCAA Poll while the Bengals came in as the top-ranked team and defending national champions.  The game on Saturday was a fast-paced contest with both team’s offensive and defensive skills on display for the fans that braved the windy and chilly conditions. SUNY Canton pushed the play in the opening half and had several good scoring chances early on in the game and had several good attempts narrowly miss the mark.   The Roos hard work finally paid off in the 35th minute when freshman forward Shane Powell (Yonkers, N.Y.) scored his team-leading ninth goal of the year unassisted to give the home team a 1-0 advantage. That lead would hold until the 59th minute before Keith Williams II scored to even the game at one apiece. Both teams continued to battle in a physical contest for the rest of the second half.  With less than eight minutes remaining in regulation, the Bengals gained an advantage deep in the offensive end and the Roos were forced to foul inside the area resulting in a penalty kick for Fort Kent.  Jarryd Phillips knocked in the free kick which would be the game-winning score. The Roos kept fighting to the final whistle as they had several more good chances to tie the game in the waning minutes of the game but a solid defensive effort by the Bengal kept the Roos off the scoreboard. Sankung Sillah (Bronx, N.Y.) had six saves in goal for the Roos who saw their record drop to 11-7-2 overall. David Girouard had two saves for the Bengals.

October 15: The SUNY Canton men’s soccer team scored two first-half goals en route to a 2-0 win over Vermont Technical College Saturday in Randolph Center, Vt. Sophomore Leroy White (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored on a header off a corner kick from Tyler Chiapperino (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) and then freshman Eric Lopez (Holbrok, N.Y.) scored unassisted to give the Roos the win.  SUNY Canton, 10th in the latest USCAA Coaches Poll, moved to 11-6-2 overall and are 8-1-1 in their 10 last games. Antonio James (Jamaica) made his first career start for the Roos in goal and responded with his first career shutout. SUNY Canton will wrap up their regular season Oct. 23 and 24 when they host top-ranked University of Maine at Fort Kent in a two-game series at home.

SUNY Canton's Keelon Joseph (13) tangles with a Vermont Tech player while teammate Francesco Cardillo (10) looks to steal the ball.  (Scott Bartenstein photo)  Game Gallery

Midfield battle for the ball between SUNY Canton's Chris Nieves (13) and SUNY Potsdam's Ashley Butterworth (8).  It took 99 minutes and 32 seconds, but sophomore midfielder Alessio Vitale finally lifted the SUNY Potsdam men’s soccer team (3-1-1) to a 1-0 victory over SUNY Canton (2-4) on Wednesday night.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

North Country Community College men's soccer.

A pair of Brasher natives and high school teammates battle at the college level as SUNY Potsdam’s Ashley Thayer (12) tries to regain possession in the offensive zone while being defended by SUNY Canton’s Autumn Irwin (15). Thayer had a breakaway in the first half, but missed just wide.  Potsdam won the game
1-0 in double overtime. (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

October 29: It took over 106 minutes, but the SUNY Potsdam women’s soccer team defeated SUNY Canton on a goal from junior Heather Johnson (Heuvelton, N.Y./Heuvelton) in the annual Boyd Jones Cup. The Bears (4-13-2) have come away with the cup in back-to-back seasons, with this year’s coming in dramatic fashion. The Bears started off the match with a good scoring opportunity. In the fifth minute, sophomore Ashley Thayer (Winthrop, N.Y./St. Lawrence) had a breakaway but her shot just missed wide. The Kangaroos (5-14) also had a couple chances. Senior goalkeeper Dedra Palmer (Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro) made a fingertip save on a shot by Bailey Allen (Dekalb Junction, N.Y./Hermon-Decalb) in the 21st minute. Allen would have a better chance latter in the half as she gathered a deflection and shot it past Palmer but rolled a few inches wide of the net.  The neck-and-neck half would end with the Kangaroos ahead in shots 6-3, but the game was scoreless. The Bears were the aggressors in the second half. They outshot Canton 11-1 and had multiple scoring chances. Thayer again found herself alone after a Kangroos turnover, but missed wide on her attempt. Johnson and Stephanie Cox (Parishville, N.Y./Parishville-Hopkinton) each had scoring opportunities but were denied by Canton goalkeeper Holli-Jo Cota (Ogdensburg, N.Y./O.F.A.) sending the game into overtime. The first overtime period saw Potsdam have two shots to Canton’s one. Neither team could find the back of the net, so a second overtime was needed.   The Bears would break the tie in the 107th minute as Johnson took a pass from senior Taylor Jordan (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) and ended the season in grand fashion. First year Mark Misiak was excited about the outcome. “What a great way to end the year,” said Misiak. “We have worked hard all season long and the kids deserved this win. They played their hearts out all season long and for over 100 minutes today and I’m excited for them.” The win allows the team to end the season on a high note and lay the foundation for success in 2012. “There were a lot of positives to take out of this season. We lost some tough matches but I feel that the program is heading in the right direction. With the returners and players we have coming in, I look forward to next year with a lot of optimism,” said Misiak. For the year, Potsdam was led by Johnson’s eight goals and 18 points. Senior Taylor Jordan led the team with 3 assists and Palmer accumulated 94 saves and two shutouts.

October 25: The SUNY Potsdam women’s soccer team (3-12-2) fell 6-0 to St. Lawrence University (7-5-3) on the road on Tuesday afternoon. Bears senior goalkeeper Dedra Palmer (Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro) finished with 13 saves. The Saints jumped on Potsdam just 1:26 into the contest as Marcelle Justison and Katherine Polido set up Julia Friesen for a 1-0 advantage. Elena Rogers made it 2-0 after finishing a pass from Devon Shatkin in the 32nd minute. St. Lawrence took the two-goal lead into the break. Nearly 12 minutes into the second half, Justison sent a cross into the middle of the box and Stephanie Sayward extended the lead to 3-0. Five minutes later, Justison beat Palmer in a race to the ball on a pass from Rogers for the Saints fourth marker. Nyssa LaClair scored an unassisted goal at 78:58 and Alexandra Watherbie capped the scoring at 6-0 with a tally in the 84th minute. Saints goalie Abby van Geldern made two saves in the first 57:01 to earn the victory. Andrea Strauss played the next 23:24 and Amanda Chase was in goal the last 9:35. Both were untested. The Bears wrap up the 2011 season with a home matchup against SUNY Canton on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. The contest originally started on Sept. 13, but was halted due to lightning while tied 1-1. Since the contest was still early in the second half when play was stopped, it will be replayed in its entirety.

St. Lawrence’s Holly Wark (15) feeds the ball to the outside of the box as SUNY Potsdam defender Francesca Centofanti (19) pressures. Marcelle Justison scored one goal and set up two others as the St. Lawrence University's women's soccer team rolled past North Country rival SUNY Potsdam 6-0.
(Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Brockport's Kaila Maguire (17) from Potsdam, NY, chips the ball forward in game action Friday at SUNY Potsdam.  SUNY Potsdam women bowed to Brockport in a 2-0 shutout. Brockport broke a scoreless game at the half with two goals in the second half of the contest.  (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

  SUNY Plattsburgh's Lindsay Keyser from AuSable Valley (3) battles a SUNY Potsdam player along the sideline for possession.  (Scott Bartenstein photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s goalie Debra Palmer (24) barely misses stopping a direct kick on a Clarkson goal late in the second half to tie the game at 1-1. Clarkson's Taylor Abraham scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over Potsdam.   (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence’s University's Stephanie Sayward (22) directd the ball towards the SUNY Potsdam goal as the Bears' Maggie Malinowski (3) marks her.  The Saints opened the scoring just 1:26 into play Marcelle Justison dribbled in on Potsdam goalkeeper Dedra Palmer, she sent a pass toward the far post where sophomore Julia Friesen tapped the ball over the goal line for her second of the season.  St. Lawrence got an insurance goal for a 2-0 win.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

November 2: St. Lawrence University's second trip to the Liberty League tournament in the last four years ended just like the first one did...with a loss to top-seeded William Smith on the Heron's home field. William Smith, ranked second nationally, scored the game's first goal 19:30 into the first half following a corner kick and then added three in the second half for a 4-0 victory, advancing to host the Liberty League championship against the winner of the RIT-Skidmore semifinal game. St. Lawrence ends its season 8-6-3 overall. "Our performance in the first half today was absolutely outstanding," said Saint coach Franco Bari. "While I was slightly disappointed with the second half, it wasn't for lack of effort on our part. The team put a lot of heart in its performance and I am proud of the effort all season long. Our seniors have a lot to be proud of and can hold their heads high after this season. They have built a solid foundation for the future of our program," Bari added. Kelsey Hill opened the scoring for the Herons, converting from the left side following g a corner kick from Dineo Mmutla at 19:30. Mmutla then scored her seventh of the season off a short pass in front from Renee Jensen, scoring from point blank range six minutes into the second and she made it a 3-0 game with her second of the game and eighth of the year on a hard shot from the top of the box at 63:34. Krista Longo completed the scoring when she gathered in a loose ball following a goal kick and converted before Saint goalie Abby van Geldern could get back into position. William Smith outshot the Saints 20-4 and had ten corner kicks to two for SLU. Two William Smith goalies did not have to make a save in the game while vanGeldern finished with four stops for the Saints.

October 29: Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better script for Saturday's regular-season ending women's soccer game between St. Lawrence University and North Country rival Clarkson on Sandy MacAllaster Field. Seniors Devon Shatkin and Katherine Polido collaborated on the game-winning goal and classmate Elena Rogers set up an insurance goal to back shutout goalkeeping by yet another senior, Abby vanGeldern, in a 2-0 Saint win which clinched just the second Liberty League tournament berth for the Saints since the inception of the league tournament. The Saint class of 2011, which was honored before the game, made SLU's first Liberty League tournament appearance as rookies in 2008 and will play in the league semifinals at top-seeded William Smith on Wednesday. "It certainly was an amazing storybook ending for the senior class...heading into their last game against their arch-rivals with a tournament berth on the line," said Saint coach Franco Bari. "We certainly couldn't have written a better ending to have a senior score the game winning goal assisted by another senior and another senior taking charge on the back line and shutting out the opponents. "I am very proud of this senior class and glad that they had this experience on a great day," Bari added. The game appeared headed for a scoreless tie at the intermission after the Saints generated some quality scoring chances in the first half, but couldn't get the ball past Clarkson goalie Kim Kenline. Rogers created a corner kick opportunity for the Saints with under two minutes to play as her flip throw in to the near post was punched over the end line by Kenline. Polido then hit a strong corner kick to the far post, and Shatkin controlled the ball and drilled a shot back across the cage and into the net for her third goal of the season and second game winner with 1:45 to go in the first half. The Saints added an insurance goal at the 67:45 mark as Rogers sent the ball to junior Stephanie Sayward at the 18 yard line and Sayward went in one-on-one with Kenline. While the Clarkson goaltender stopped Sayward's first shot, she couldn't control the rebound and Sayward vollied her 10th of the season into the net for the 2-0 lead. Saint keeper van Geldern recorded her seventh shutout of the season and the 25th of a stellar career in which she started every game in her four seasons. She made six saves for the victory, four of them in the second half. Kenline finished with six saves for Clarkson, which was outshot 17-8 overall and 8-6 in shots on net. The Saints had four corner kicks to one for the Golden Knights, who finish their season 8-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in the Liberty League. The Saints will take a 8-5-3 overall mark into Wednesday's game at William Smith and finished 4-2-2 in the Liberty League. "I am very happy for the team as one of our major goals for the season was to advance to the conference tournament," said Bari.

St. Lawrence University goaltender Abby van Geldern reels in the ball while getting defensive protection from Devon Shatkin. St. Lawrence had several chances in the second half but was unable to convert in a 3-0 loss. Meanwhile, van Geldern posted 14 saves, including some excellent stops to keep the Saints in the game.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

 St. Lawrence University's Brooke Hessney (7) tangles toe-to-toe with William Smith College's Chelsea England.  Renee Jensen scored two goals to lead nationally-ranked No. 2 William Smith to a 3-0 Liberty League victory over St. Lawrence. The Saints fall to 5-3-2 and suffer their first league loss  (2-1-1). 

Clarkson keeper Saverino Spagnolo is unable to knock down a close-range shot in the first half, leading to Plattsburgh's first goal.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Plattsburgh's Nate Economou (17) and Clarkson University's Tyler Rodrigues (6) scramble at midfield.

October 26: Plattsburgh State rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to score the next two goals and deny the Norwich women’s soccer team an undefeated non-conference season, as well as hand the Cadets their first home loss of the year at Howard Field.   Norwich (11-4-2, 8-3-2 GNAC) wasted little time getting on the board as junior forward Brittany Casey scored her team-leading 15th goal of the season just 1:17 into the match to give the Cadets a 1-0 lead.   NU senior defender Stacey Flint sent a high long through ball down the left side of the field that Casey corralled. She then beat her defender and let go of a laser strike that beat Plattsburgh State starting goalkeeper Danielle Schmitt over her head and to the right upper corner of the net.   Plattsburgh State (7-6-3, 4-4-1 SUNYAC) slowly started to build momentum from there though and the Cardinals leveled the score in the 20th minute when Renee Egan scored off an assist from Lindsey Keyser to knot the score at one.   Keyser beat a Norwich defender along the wing and then dribbled along the end line to the edge of the penalty area. She then sent a crossing pass right to the foot of Egan who promptly deposited the ball into the far corner of the net.   The Cardinals took the lead for good in the 61st minute when Leigh Metcalf scored on a similar set-up to PSU’s first goal. This time it was Egan who evaded an NU defender and then dribbled along the end line while Metcalf ran to space on the weak side. Egan crossed it to the far post and Metcalf tapped it home before NU goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy could recover to give Plattsburgh State the 2-1 lead.   Plattsburgh State goalkeeper Monica D’Ippolito picked up the win after taking over for Schmitt at the start of the second half. D’Ippolito made four saves. Kennedy was saddled with the loss for Norwich despite turning aside six shots.   The Cardinals outshot Norwich 23-14 and improved to 9-1-0 all-time against the Cadets.   Keyser, Metcalf, Kaitlin Graeb, Jackie Fanneron, Megan Rivage and Danielle Weimer closed out their Cardinal careers Wednesday afternoon.  Keyser is the first player in the history of the program to be named an All-American, earning third team honors following the conclusion of the 2010 season.   Wednesday’s game also marked the first time that Plattsburgh freshman Sidney Flint played against her sister, Stacey, who is a senior defender on the Norwich women’s soccer team. They both grew up in Jay, N.Y. and attended Alexander High School and were on the varsity team together for two years.

October 22: The Plattsburgh State women’s soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 loss at the hands of The College at Brockport Saturday on a day when the Cardinals honored the 2011 senior class.   Despite a 19-4 Plattsburgh advantage in shots, Brockport took the shot that mattered most.  At 11:44 of the first half, Kaila Maguire beat Plattsburgh goalkeeper Danielle Schmitt to net the lone goal of the afternoon.  Arielle Schneider assisted on the Brockport goal.   Plattsburgh (6-6-3, 4-4-1 SUNYAC) dominated with 11 shots in the second half, while Brockport (10-5-1, 5-4-0 SUNYAC) fired just one.  The Cardinals also held a 10-1 edge in corner kicks.   Schmitt recorded two saves for Plattsburgh in the loss.  Brockport goalie Erin Asquith stopped five shots to preserve the shutout and earn her tenth victory.   Saturday’s game marked the final home game for seven Cardinal players, Lindsey Keyser, Kaitlin Graeb, Jackie Fanneron, Megan Rivage, Leigh Metcalf, Danielle Weimer and Brittany Meade.  The Plattsburgh senior class was honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the game.    With the loss, Brockport leapfrogs Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC standings, leaving the Cardinals on the outside looking in for the postseason. 

Clarkson University’s Taylor Abraham (9) runs the ball into the empty net to start off the scoring early in the first half for the Knights.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  GameGame Gallery

October 29: Freshman goalkeeper Kim Kenline (Akron, NY)  made six saves in 88 minutes of action, but two shots snuck past her and the rest of the Clarkson University Women's Soccer team's defense as St. Lawrence defeated the Golden Knights 2-0 Saturday afternoon. The Knights finished the season 8-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in Liberty League play, their first winning season since 1992. Clarkson also allowed only 14 goals in 16 games, the first time in program history that the team gave up fewer than one goal per game. St. Lawrence clinched a Liberty League playoff spot and improved to 8-5-3 overall and 4-2-2 in conference games. After a nearly scoreless first half, St. Lawrence got on the scoreboard in the final two minutes of the opening period. After Kenline was able to deflect a throw in out of bounds, the Saints earned a corner kick and cashed in. Katherine Polido sent a pass to the far side of the box, finding Devon Shatkin on the other side. Shatkin was able to quickly control the pass and volley a ball past the Clarkson defense for a goal at 43:15 in the first half. In the second half, the Saints gained an insurance goal midway on a goal from Stephanie Sayward. Elena Rogers sent a through ball to Sayward, who gained a one-on-one with Kenline. The first shot by Sayward was saved by Kenline, but the rebound found the foot of Sayward, who then pushed the ball to the far right corner for the goal at 67:45. St. Lawrence finished the game with a 17-8 edge in shots and a 4-1 lead in corner kick opportunities. Kenline made six saves for the Knights in 88 minutes of action before being relieved by Brianna Thibeau (Salem, NY), who wasn't called upon to make a save in her two-plus minutes of play. Abby van Geldern made six saves for St. Lawrence.

October 25: The Golden Knights, who dropped their second straight, fall to 8-6-1 and will close out the season at archrival St. Lawrence University on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. game in Canton. Kleine tallied in her first goal of the game in the 17th minute, knocking in a rebound at the side of the net after Clarkson’s freshman goaltender Kim Kenline made a diving stop off a shot by Nikki Liadka.   Kleine and Liadka teamed up again in the 74th minute with Kleine connecting on a cross with a shot from the top of the box, scoring her seventh goal of the season. Oswego (10-8) outshot the Knights 18-11 and had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks. Kenline and classmate Brianna Thibeau (Salem, NY) posted four saves apiece with each playing a half in the Clarkson net. Emily Varonier made five saves for the Lakers.
 

SUNY Potsdam’s icia Joseph (5) battles with Clarkson’s Taylor Abraham in Potsdam’s defensive end.  Despite holding a significant advantage in shots, Clarkson needed some late-game heroics to pull out a victory over cross-town rival Potsdam on Tuesday night. Abraham, a freshman, completed the rally for the Golden Knights as she scored the game-winning goal just three minutes into overtime to lift the Green and Gold to 2-1 triumph on the Bears' home field.  (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

Potsdam’s Emily Doyle (11) gets a nice shot off a corner as she attacks the ball in the air close to the net.  SUNY Canton fell to SUNY Potsdam 1-0.   (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

October 25: The SUNY Canton women’s soccer team made sure they gave their three departing players a rousing sendoff as the rolled over Paul Smith’s College 5-0 Tuesday night in their final home game of the season. Senior defender Stephanie Clark (Framingham, Mass.) will graduate this year, junior midfielder Ricci Celia (Essex Junction, Vt.) will be doing an internship next year, and sophomore goalie Holli-Jo Cota (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) will be earning her associates degres.  All three players were honored prior to the start of the game. “This was a special night for us to honor and recognize Steph, Ricci and Holli-Jo who have meant so much to our program,” said head coach Kate Thomas-Moody.  “Our entire team played extremely well and it was a terrific way to go out in our final home game.”  Santina Doldo, Celia, Cota, Clark, and Thomas-Moody prior to the game The Roos pounced on the Bobcats from the get go and never let up the entire night in a dominating performance.  SUNY Canton pushed the ball into the offensive end the whole game and only allowed Paul Smith’s a few trips into their own offensive end and even when they did the Roos denied the Bobcats any really good scoring opportunities. For the game the Roos outshot Paul Smith’s 28-1 and held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Freshman Dominique Pallotolo (Clifton Park, N.Y.) got the ball rolling in the sixth minute when she took a nice pass right through the Bobcats defense from junior Bailey Allen (Dekalb Junction, N.Y.) and sent a hard shot to the low left corner of the net.  In the 22nd minute, Celia gathered in a pass from Pallotolo and sent a rocket in to the back of the goal from 25 yards out and a 2-0 Roos lead.  In the second half Allen scored from junior Chelsea Allen (Marcellus, N.Y.) in the 64th minute and the lead was stretched to 3-0.  Clark then made her final home game all the more memorable when she curled in a direct kick from 30 yards out that found the upper left corner of the net and the lead was now 4-0 in favor of the home team.  Sophomore Melissa Campoverde (Forest Hills, N.Y.) completed the scoring from Celia with just over six minutes left in regulation. Cota played the first 81 minutes in goal and did not need to make a save and the Ogdensburg native gave way to freshman Laura Pratt (Binghamton, N.Y.) who also was not called on to make a save in nine minutes. The Roos wrap up their season this Saturday, Oct. 29 when they’ll play in the Boyd Jones Cup game at SUNY Potsdam.  That game was originally started on Sept. 13 but was called in the second half due to lightning.  Jones served as the sports information director at both colleges.

October 22: The SUNY Canton women’s soccer team dropped a 4-1 decision to the University of Maine at Fort Kent Saturday afternoon in Canton. The Roos fell behind 3-0 before defenseman Katy Sofranko (Lafayette, N.Y.) scored her first career goal unassisted in the 76th minute. Colleen Fagan (Bath, N.Y.) had two saves for the Roos in goal. Whitney Sinclair and Donike Ferriera had a goal and an assist apiece for the Bengals who are the top-ranked team in the USCAA.
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Clarkson University’s Hilary Mosher (6) looks to cross the ball from just outside the penalty area past SUNY Canton defender Jackie Sedlacek (21). (Ryan Bercume photo) Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Jackie acek (21) wins the ball in the middle of the field against the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The Roos dropped the weekend two-game series, falling Friday 5-1 and Saturday 2-1. (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton's Bailey Allen of DeKalb controls the ball against Vermont Tech.  (Scott Bartenstein photo)  Game Gallery

North Country Community College Women’s Soccer team won its season opener at home in a close matchup with Paul Smith’s College in a 5-4 win.