D R A G O N TA L E S Vol 21, No. 1 Fall 2019
Official Newsletter of SUNY Oneonta Athletics
Men’s Cross Countr y Qualifies for the NCAA Championships Men’s Soccer Captures SUNYAC Title The men’s soccer team captured its 11th SUNYAC title this fall after defeating Plattsburgh 1-0 in the conference championship game on Saturday, Nov. 9 on Red Dragon Field. The title for Oneonta was its sixth this decade. “Chris had Plattsburgh really organized today,” said Head Coach Iain Byrne. “The first half was a bit cagey but in the second half we created enough chances and you know Witman will eventually finish one off. I thought we were solid in the back. That group just keeps getting better with every game.”
For the second consecutive year, the men’s cross-country team was on the start line at the NCAA Division III championships held at Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, KY. The Red Dragons came away with a 31st place finish overall. “The race was not the result we had hoped for, but things don’t always go according to plan,” commented Head Coach Chris Wilber. “We didn’t get out well and it hurt us in a big race with tough conditions. Blake did a great job positioning himself and a few others moved up through the race, but it wasn’t enough. It’s a bit disappointing for the seniors who worked so hard to get here and who have shaped our program for the future to fall short of their own expectations. We are very proud of them!” In their final collegiate cross-country race, it was the quintet of seniors that led the Red Dragons through the 8K course. Blake Dellabough was the first finisher for Oneonta followed by classmates Matthew Palmer, Sean Ryan, Ethan McDonald
The two teams battled to a scoreless first half of play. Oneonta managed to generate five shots total with two ending up on the frame that were stopped by the Plattsburgh keeper. Senior Witman Hernandez broke the deadlock in the 54th minute with his 23rd goal of the season. Sophomore Tristan Battistoni carried the ball towards the box out on the right flank before sliding a pass ahead of Hernandez. Hernandez collected the pass, took one dribble and fired a rocket towards the goal. The shot was too hard for the keeper to handle, as it went through his hands before dribbling past the goal line for the score. The Red Dragons created a couple of more chances late in the game but couldn’t get the attempts on frame. The Oneonta back line held the Cardinals out of range over the remaining 17 minutes of the match. Hernandez was named the Most Valuable Player of the
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In This Issue... - Men’s Cross Country Qualifies for NCAA Championships, pgs. 1 & 2 - Men’s Soccer wins SUNYAC Championship, pgs. 1 & 2 - Gillian Stieglitz earns Pair of Academic Honors, pg. 2 - Hernandez and Ventura selected as All-Americans, pgs. 2 & 3 - All-Region Honors for Four Men’s Soccer Players, pg. 3 - Culeton and Fowler receive Postseason Accolades, pg. 3 - Kornfeld and Bilow Honored as All-Region Players, pg. 4
- Academic Honors for Seven Softball Players, pg. 4 - Brynn Sussman ‘15 returns to Campus, pg. 5 - Battistoni and Minogue Garner Academic Honors, pg. 5 - Daniel Ioos selected as an Academic All-American, pg. 6 - McDonald and Dellabough run to All-Region Honors, pg. 6 - Athletics Inducts Seven into Hall of Fame, pgs. 7 & 8 - Fall Season Honor Roll, pgs. 8 & 10 - Athletes of the Week, pg. 9 - Winter Schedules, pg. 11 - Fall Scoreboard, pg. 12
Dragon 1 Tales