CORTLAND, N.Y. - Following a 1-1 tie that included a goal by first-year forward Erin O'Connor and two scoreless overtime periods, the SUNY Geneseo women's soccer team advanced past Cortland with a 5-4 advantage in penalty kicks in the quarterfinals of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament, Saturday afternoon.

The sixth-seeded Knights will take on second-seeded Buffalo State on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at 1:00 p.m. in Buffalo, with the winner moving on to play in the conference championship game next Saturday (Nov. 9). Buffalo State scored a goal in the 88th minute of the two teams' regular-season matchup, sending the Knights home with a 1-0 loss.

On a windy and blustery day, O'Connor put the Knights on the board in the 18th minute as the Knights had the wind at their backs for the first half. After taking control of a through ball sent behind the Red Dragon defense by first-year midfielder Emily Green and beating a charging Cortland keeper Rachel Axt with a shot inside the right post. It was O'Connor's team-leading sixth tally of the season.

Cortland would answer back less than seven minutes later as Caitlin Guerra one-timed a cross off the right side from teammate Kelly Knight into the front of the goal from close range to knot the game, 1-1. 

Geneseo built an 8-2 advantage in shots during the first period, and weatherd the Cortland attack that out-shot the Knights, 10-2, the rest of the game with the wind advantage.

Knights' senior goalkeeper Julia Sanger made three saves, including a pair in the second half. In the 59th minute, she was just able to get a finger on a rising Cortland shot headed toward the upper right corner of the goal, that instead deflected off the cross bar, as the match would eventually be decided in a penalty kick shootout.

Starting with five shots apiece, Geneseo missed its first penalty kick attempt, before Cortland converted to take an early 1-0 lead. The teams traded three goals apeice, including tallies by Knights' sophomore forward Kelsey Raschke, senior forward Amanda Gray and junior midfielder Brittany Young, before Geneseo senior midfielder Alexa Vojvodic converted to make it, 4-4. Cortland had one last attempt that would have clinched the victory, but Sanger again made a diving deflection to keep the Knights alive.

Senior forward Kelly Quinn found the net on Geneseo's next opportunity, before Sanger smothered Cortland's ensuing attempt to secure the shootout victory and a spot in the conference semis for the second time in three years.

Geneseo and Cortland played to a 0-0 tie through two overtime periods in the semifinals of the 2011 SUNYAC Tournament, as the Red Dragons went on to advance following a 3-2 PK victory.