SUNYAC Friday: Oneonta Host Cortland in a Battle of the Red Dragons, Salisbury Face Oswego
Oneonta gets to host its own party on Friday, and the SUNYAC field hockey semifinals have a proper derby at the heart of them.
The Red Dragons of Oneonta, the second seeds, host the Red Dragons of Cortland, the third seeds, at 3 p.m. on Friday at All College Field in Oneonta. Same nickname, same colours in spirit, one place in Saturday’s final. Oneonta finished 9-7 overall with a 3-1 SUNYAC record and earned hosting rights for the whole tournament. Cortland arrive 13-3 and ranked 16th in the nation, and they will not be overawed by the occasion. One of Cortland’s three defeats this season came against Oneonta in overtime, so the hosts know they can beat this side, and Cortland know they owe them one.
Cortland’s form is hard to ignore. Senior goalkeeper Sofia Cannistraci was just named the SUNYAC Defensive Athlete of the Week for the week ending 1 November, and Cortland closed the regular season by hammering Skidmore 6-2 on senior day, with Madison Oliver scoring her first collegiate hat-trick. That is a team arriving with a keeper in form and a forward line full of confidence.
The other semifinal sees top-seeded Salisbury take on fourth-seeded Oswego on Friday, with the winners meeting in Saturday’s final at 1 p.m. at Oneonta. The final is the prize, but Friday’s second game is the one people will talk about. A Battle of the Red Dragons, at home, for a final place, against a nationally ranked side you have already beaten once in overtime. Oneonta could not have scripted a better semifinal. Now they have to win it again.
