Offense falters in OT as Blue Devils lose on Senior Day

On Saturday afternoon the Blue Devils said farewell to three players that have been cornerstones of the team for the past four seasons. Fredonia's senior game against the Brockport Golden Eagles (11-2 overall and 7-1 SUNYAC) resulted in a loss for the Blue Devils (9-8 overall and 3-5 SUNYAC).   

Seniors Katie Monaghan and Valerie Snider became the first player tandem under head coach Chris Case to produce four consecutive winning seasons. Stacey Morgan, a junior who is graduating early this May, was also honored as a senior and was a key player for the team for three seasons.

"It's sad for me," Monaghan said. "I made it through four years so that's a pretty big accomplishment to have. It's sad but I'm also ready to be done."

It was a hard fought game by both teams that resulted in a 15-11 overtime loss for Fredonia. Brockport took an early 2-0 lead, but it was not long before sophomore Morgan McNamara jumpstarted the Fredonia offense with a goal. The game remained relatively close the entire first half; the score heading into halftime was 7-5 Brockport.

The Blue Devils came out for the second half and put on an offensive show, scoring five unanswered goals. The comeback was fueled by a number of players including sophomore McNamara, freshman Amanda Zumbo, sophomore Amy Simon, senior Monaghan and freshman Maddison Frink. The momentum would eventually shift in Brockport's favor as the Golden Eagles went on a three goal streak to take the lead 11-10. With only 1:30 left in regulation, McNamara scored the tying goal to send the game into overtime.

The Golden Eagles completely dominated in both overtime periods, scoring four goals to beat the Blue Devils 15-11.

"I was really pleased with what took place here today other than the final score on the scoreboard," Case said. "We had a chance to win it in the final seconds but their player made a great shot on a feed and we were not able to get the shot off. In overtime we just ran out of gas."

Melissa Hill had an impressive offensive effort for the Golden Eagles, scoring five goals in the game. McNamara lead the Blue Devils with three goals and one assist.

"I think everybody tried their hardest, we just didn't come through in overtime," said freshman goalkeeper Casey Chiesa.

Monaghan and Snider will leave Fredonia with their names atop the record books. Combined they have an overall record of 38-27 at Fredonia. Monaghan ranks second all time in draw controls with 91 while Snider ranks fifth with 88. Monaghan also leaves Fredonia as the second leading scorer with 154 points and is second in career assists with 59. Snider managed to have an excellent final season despite tearing her ACL last year and managed a remarkable recovery before the season started.

"All three of them were great in this final game and through their four years here," Case said. "They have all come so far since their freshman year and I was glad to have them on my team."