Nora Fitzgerald (4) splits RPI defenders at the Field House Sept. 9. She had a team-high three shots against Potsdam.
By Mikai Bruce
Although every game is important, conference games are most consequential in regard to the playoffs. The Plattsburgh Cardinals women’s soccer team had its first SUNYAC game Wednesday, Sept. 20, against the Potsdam Bears. Conference games are where the elite teams separate themselves from the rest and that is what the Cardinals sought to do.
The Cardinals tied the Bears 0-0. The score is shocking looking at the stats for the second half.
Lauren Haley continued her starting streak to begin the season, and her effort on Wednesday was her second shutout of the year. The first half was slow, as the Cardinals took a mere two shots compared to four shots by the Bears.
These two first half shots came from Zoe Rice and Nora Fitzgerald, showing signs of life in an otherwise drab first half.
The second half was much more fiery than the first half, especially for Plattsburgh, as it recorded a staggering 10 shots compared to just two from Potsdam.
“It’s important that we came out strong and show what Plattsburgh has to offer to the SUNYAC,” senior midfielder Sophia Hatziyanis said.
Although the game was a tie, there were still plenty of positives to take from this game. The aggressiveness in the second half is what this team will need moving forward in the SUNYAC games to really make its mark.
These 10 shots in the second half came from Allison Brown, Zoe Rice, Nora Fitzgerald, Avery Durgan, Casey Granger, Alexis Patrick and Sally Gilganic. Of course you would like to see some of these shots lead to goals, but it is still a positive sign that it is so aggressive.
“I think that winning would be more of a confidence boost but I think it gave us the tools we will build upon for these next games,” Fitzgerald said.
Even in a tie, members of the team still see light at the end of the tunnel.
“I think that our tenacity and work ethic was amazing and the second half we created a lot of chances, we definitely had a lot of chances to score and it was really great to see that attacking style that we worked in in practice, shutouts are always good so I think we were really on point defensively as well,” Head Coach Whitney Frary said.
The aggressiveness displayed in the second half is a point of emphasis for this season and its defensive excellence should be good moving forward as well.
The Cardinals play three more SUNYAC games in succession — a true test. It hosts the Brockport Golden Eagles tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 23 for its Morgan’s Message Game, a national mental health awareness organization with its own chapter in Plattsburgh. The Cards will then host the New Paltz Hawks Wednesday, Sept. 27, its POTS Awareness Game. Then, to finish the first half of conference play, the Cardinals will visit the rival Oswego Lakers Saturday, Sept. 30.
If the second half of this game was any indicator, the Cardinals will be a force to be reckoned with in its conference games moving forward.
Collin Bolebruch / Cardinal Points
Head Coach Whitney Frary prowls the sidelines against RPI at the Field House Sept. 9. Her team currently stands at 2-2-2.
