Â鶹Æƽâ°æ

Three teams advance in Liberty League competition

November 6, 2024

Three Â鶹Æƽâ°æ College teams — men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and field hockey — are moving on to the Liberty League semifinals after clinching pivotal wins in their first rounds. Each team delivered thrilling performances to earn their spots in the next stage of the playoffs. 

Women’s soccer edges RIT with late game-winning goal 

In another high-stakes game, the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ women’s soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over RIT, with Ella Stone ’25 scoring the winning goal in the 86th minute. Stone’s goal was her 13th of the season and her sixth game-winning score. With this win, the fourth-seeded Thoroughbreds secured their first Liberty League playoff victory since 2011 and will now advance to face top-seeded Ithaca. 

The match was a tale of two halves, with RIT dominating the first, outshooting Â鶹Æƽâ°æ 6-1. However, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s defense, anchored by junior goalkeeper Avery Rogers ’26 held firm and recorded four key saves. The second half saw a shift as Â鶹Æƽâ°æ pressed forward. Senior Kyra Russman-Araya ’25 had two close attempts, and, in the closing minutes, Stone broke through to seal the win. 

Men’s soccer triumphs in dramatic penalty shootout 

After 110 scoreless minutes of regulation and overtime play, the Thoroughbreds edged out the Bombers with a 4-3 victory in penalty kicks to secure a place in the Liberty League semifinals. 

Goalkeeper Will Devall ’26 made two crucial saves in the shootout, including stops on the first and fourth attempts by Ithaca. Meanwhile, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Edoardo Ferrari ’27 scored the decisive penalty kick.  

Throughout regulation, both teams had scoring opportunities, with Â鶹Æƽâ°æ maintaining a 15-8 shot advantage. Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Alec Llerena ’25 had a notable chance in the 108th minute, but Ithaca’s keeper Brayden Milbrandt deflected the shot. Five Â鶹Æƽâ°æ players — Perry Sofis-Scheft ’25, Dillon Nelson ’26, Nick Jardim ’25, Colin Goodhines ’27, and Henry Fogel ’27 — resiliently played the entire 110 minutes. Â鶹Æƽâ°æ will face second-seeded St. Lawrence in the semifinals on Friday. 

Field Hockey shuts out William Smith

 
The Â鶹Æƽâ°æ field hockey team rounded out the successful first round performances with a 1-0 shutout victory over William Smith. Fifth-seeded Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s win marked the program’s first Liberty League playoff win since 2017 and advances them to the semifinals against top-seeded Ithaca. 

The game remained scoreless through the first half as both teams played strong defense, but the Thoroughbreds found their breakthrough in the third quarter. In the 43rd minute, Colby Paul ’27 scored the game’s lone goal, assisted by CC Wetter ’25. 

Â鶹Æƽâ°æ held firm in the fourth quarter, preventing any scoring chances for William Smith. Â鶹Æƽâ°æ goalkeeper Victoria Bodnar ’25 recorded three saves, securing her tenth career shutout and sixth shutout of the season.


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