Women’s soccer falls short in SUNYAC semifinals
In their best postseason finish since 2023, the No. 5 Oswego State women’s soccer team fell to No. 1 SUNY Cortland, 3-1, on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Oswego rode into the playoffs with shutouts in each of their final three regular season games, before taking down SUNY Potsdam with ease in the first round. In a back-and-forth matchup with SUNY Oneonta in round two, the Lakers emerged victorious, 3-2, before falling to a strong Cortland side to end their season.
Against the Red Dragons of Oneonta, Liliana De Collibus knotted it up at one goal apiece as she scored on a header from Kyla Sustad’s corner kick. De Collibus and the Lakers continued to control offensive momentum, firing five corner kicks and seven shots – one on target – before intermission struck.
Sustad helped the team to emphatically open the second half, as the senior used a nifty move past her defender to gain spacing before launching a high-arcing shot past opposing goalkeeper Emily Hardison. The Red Dragons quickly responded though, as Sara Kealey logged her second goal of the game with a far-out shot that went past the outstretched hand of Lakers’ keeper Lucy Starzyk.
The game remained at a standstill until the 79th minute, when Luna Catano-Matip weaved through a group of Red Dragons and fired a shot high and past the diving head of Hardison. Oneonta attempted to make one final offensive push after the go-ahead goal, but a miraculous leaping save from Starzyk with two minutes to go curbed a potential equalizer and granted the Lakers a gritty 3-2 victory.
Oswego traveled to Cortland for their semifinal matchup with the top-seeded Red Dragons, but struggled to find footing on either side of the ball. Julia Carter secured the team’s lone goal, rocketing a set-piece from far-out past opposing goalie Olivia Rouse right before the intermission break. The Lakers were hard-pressed to find much offensive footing in the final 45 minutes, getting only three shots off while Leah Rehm delivered the Red Dragons’ third and final goal of the game on a corner kick in the 48th minute.
Starzyk made six saves in the final game of her sophomore season, while Rouse displayed a three-save effort. Cortland is now headed to their eighth-consecutive SUNYAC finals, as they are set to host No. 3 SUNY Fredonia on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Logan Weingartner
Cameron Shutts
Cameron is the Treasurer, Assistant Sports Editor, and Student Association Senator representing The Oswegonian. He is majoring in journalism with a minor in political science.