Gary Laronde Selected Men's Soccer Player of the Week
Oneonta senior Gary Laronde has been named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men's Soccer Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 6.
Laronde helped lead Oneonta to its first SUNYAC title since 1985. The Red Dragons earned the SUNYAC's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, which will be the program's first trip to the big dance since 1975, when they played in the college division tournament bracket of the NCAA.
Top seeded Oneonta posted a come from behind win against fourth seeded Plattsburgh in the semifinals, 4-2 and then defeated second-seeded Brockport, 1-0, in the championship game.
Trailing 2-0 in the semifinals on Wednesday, the Red Dragons scored four goals in a span of ten minutes. Laronde assisted on the game-tying goal in the 75th minute when he made a maneuver around a Cardinal defender before dropping a pass back to Dan Josepher who finished with a rocket to the back of the goal. On Saturday, Oneonta scored in the 62nd minute against Brockport and made the goal stand for its first conference championship since rejoining the ranks of Div. III in 2007.
