Special to the OBSERVER
Reilly Condidorio surpassed 100 points in her school-record playing career and Meaghan Meszaros made two spectacular saves late in the game to preserve Fredonia State's 3-2 SUNYAC women's soccer home win Saturday over the New Paltz Hawks.
The Blue Devils trailed 2-1 at halftime before rallying on goals by Kristi Putzig and Condidorio, the latter coming at 68:45. Maggie Horan had the first Fredonia State goal and Meszaros finished with four saves.
Article Photos
OBSERVER?Photo by Courtney Gfroerer
Fredonia State’s Kristi Putzig (16) looks to gain possession of the ball Saturday, during the Blue Devils SUNAYAC?women’s soccer game against New Paltz, at University Stadium. Also pictured in New Paltz’s Sarah Painter (3).
Chelsea Weir scored for the Hawks, who also benefitted on a own goal by the Blue Devils.
The win and a Cortland loss at Oswego lifted the Blue Devils - 6-2-1 in the SUNYAC, 12-3-1 overall - into third place and set up a rematch with New Paltz next Saturday in the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament. Game time is 1 p.m. at University Stadium.
The loss dropped the Hawks to 4-5-1 in the conference, 11-5-1 overall.
The Blue Devils wasted little time taking a lead. Putzig played a high cross into the box from the far right sideline. The ball deflected off the outstretched hands of New Paltz goalkeeper Stephanie Vega to the far post, where Horan was standing. Her header snuck in along the left post at 2:48. It was Horan's first goal of the season and gave Fredonia State a 1-0 lead.
New Paltz negated Fredonia State's quick start in a stretch of under two minutes late in the first half. First, Weir struck a shot into top right of the net at 32:50 after the Blue Devils were unable to clear a ball out of their defensive end. A second defensive miscue - a ball off the foot of a Blue Devil defender - led to the own goal and a 2-1 lead for the Hawks at 34:25.
The goals were the first two allowed by Meszaros and the Blue Devils after three straight shutouts.
Following intermission, Putzig evened the score at 58:56 when she received a pass over the top of the defense and struck a left-footer from the 18-yard line into the top right corner. It was Putzig's sixth goal of the season, the second in two days, and the third in the last four games.
Maria Green set up the game-winning goal. Her pass in the midfield was delivered to Condidorio in the center of the field, whose hard shot from 30 yards out skipped once off the wet grass, and then off Vega's hands, into the net.
Condidorio had a chance to add to the lead - and to her school-record career totals of 42 goals and 101 points - when the Blue Devils were awarded a penalty kick with just under 15 minutes left. Her low shot beat Vega, but deflected off the left post and slid out of play.
Meszaros protected the lead twice in the final three minutes. First, she came far off her line to stop a hard-charging run by New Paltz's Shelby Kondelka. With less than a minute to go, Meszaros came off his line a second time to stop a shot by Sarah Painter from close range. Painter gathered the rebound but her second shot was blocked by a Blue Devil defender. Time ran out just as New Paltz took its last of seven corner kicks. The Blue Devils took no corner kicks in the game, yet outshot the Hawks 16-12.
Senior Day festivities were held prior to the game. Brown, Meszaros, and Condidorio were recognized during an on-field ceremony.
The Blue Devils close out the regular season with a home game Tuesday vs. Rochester Institute of Technology. Game time is 5 p.m. at University Stadium.
