By Jeff Vella
Staff Writer

ONEONTA — Neither rain nor sleet nor snow could stop the Oneonta State women's soccer team from earning its third straight SUNY Athletic Conference title.

Oneonta scored twice in 48 seconds late in the first half Saturday to defeat Cortland, 2-1, in wintry conditions at the Wright National Soccer Campus.

The victory, the Red Dragons' 17th in a row and 36th straight against SUNYAC opponents, gave Oneonta (18-3) its third consecutive bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Red Dragons play host to Keuka at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the NCAAs at Oneonta State.

"This has probably been the most joyous winning season I've had because of Sept. 11 and how this team came together in the midst of all this tragedy," Oneonta head coach Tracey Ranieri said. "We were all directly affected by the attacks and for them to overcome and not back down, that's life. The game teaches life lessons, so this is very rewarding."

Oneonta rallied from a 1-0 deficit, after Cortland's Angela Bruno scored with 4 minutes, 6 seconds to go in the first half. Janet Wheeler took a corner kick that bounced around in the goal box. Bruno sifted through a maze of players to tap the ball past Oneonta goalie Erin Hodges.

Cortland's lead lasted all of 128 seconds.

The tying goal came courtesy of Cortland defender Abby Hadzicki, whose header on an attempted clear went into the top corner of her own net 43:05 into the game. Oneonta's Sanada Mujanovic scored the go-ahead goal 48 seconds later, when she hooked a corner kick over the head of Cortland goalie Ali Gray.

"That's her third goal on a corner this year," Ranieri said. "Our restart is to try and put the ball to the near post, but she's just very talented with bending the ball."

Ranieri said her team's quick response to Cortland's goal was a mark of the team's growing maturity.

"I think they had no doubt that with time, they were going to score," she said.

"We just knew we had to come back stronger and we didn't give up," said Oneonta midfielder Erinn Sosa, an Oneonta High graduate. "It just shows how much we've grown since August that we were down and within five minutes, we knew what we had to get done and we went out there and played that much better."

Oneonta's defense took over in the second half, limiting Cortland (12-7-1) to one shot.

Oneonta nearly made it 3-1 with 22 minutes left when Amy DuCharme lobbed a free kick over Gray, but Cristina Gaspar and Kristen Henniger were a second late getting to the ball, which was redirected wide of the goal.

With Cortland's defense pushed up late in the game, O-State's Brooke Davis, a Stamford graduate, got free for a clear-cut breakaway with 11 minutes left, but her shot went wide.

The victory ensured that Oneonta's conference winning streak will carry over to next year, but it's the overall one the Red Dragons are concerned with now.

Midfielder Elizabeth Grosser, who was named MVP of the SUNYAC Championships, is one of five seniors on the team, along with SUNYAC Player of the Year DuCharme, Henniger, Hillary Pilosi and Kristen Lynch. That means any game from here on out could be their last at Oneonta.

"I think about that," said Grosser, "but it's great knowing it's your last year and everyone's playing for you. We don't want the season to end and we're going to go as far as we can."

"We just want to keep the season going because we have so much fun together and we work really hard," added Sosa, who was named to the all-championship team, along with Henniger and Kelly Stevens. "I think a big key to our success is the camaraderie. We all get along so well and we play for each other."

Oneonta advanced to the third round of the NCAAs last year. Ranieri said Oneonta's fate this year will depend a lot on the field since the Red Dragons are built around speed.

"I'm hoping for a large field," she said. "I think we're faster than we've ever been, and that speed supports their wonderful skill."

ONEONTA STATE 2, CORTLAND 1

Oneonta 2 0 — 2

Cortland (12-7-1): Angela Bruno 1-0, Janet Wheeler 0-1.

Oneonta State (18-3): Sanada Mujanovic 1-0, own goal 1-0.

Shots-corner kicks: Cortland 4-3; Oneonta State 18-8.

Goalies: Ali Gray (C) 10; Erin Hodges (O) 2.