Geneseo first on SUNYAC slate
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Men's soccer
(NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division III Northeast rankings)
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia State men's soccer team will open defense of its SUNYAC title starting this weekend.
The Blue Devils (5-1-0) play at Geneseo starting at 1 p.m. Saturday on what amounts to opening day for all of SUNYAC men's soccer. Four other conference games are also scheduled during the day.
Plattsburgh -- at home vs. Morrisville State -- enters the league season as the pre-season favorite. The Cardinals received five first-place votes in the coaches' poll.
Fredonia State, picked No. 3 by the coaches, were also underdogs last fall but proved otherwise by defeating the same Cardinals in the SUNYAC championship game. It was Fredonia State's seventh SUNYAC title resulting in the team's eighth NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Blue Devils are coming off a 2-1 double-overtime win Tuesday at Alfred University. They are currently ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division III Northeast poll.
"We have had a solid start with such a young team," head coach P.J. Gondek said, "but the real test starts at Geneseo with the SUNYAC schedule. Last year a 2-0 home win (against Geneseo) gave us confidence and momentum going forward. We would love to start this portion of the schedule similarly. Unfortunately it is at their place and it won't be easy."
The Blue Devils have not won at Geneseo since the 2000 season, Gondek's first as head coach, and have lost four straight times there, including a SUNYAC Tournament game in 2003. Fredonia State leads the all-time series, 31-17. There have been seven ties.