Women’s Soccer Retains Barkeater Cup in Stunning Fashion

Paul Smiths, NY ~ After 90 minutes of play and still without an advantage by either Paul Smith's College of SUNY ESF, the Barkeater Cup sat unclaimed at the scorer's table.  What officially went in as a tie presented a conundrum for the two teams who have competed for the trophy for well over a decade, as the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's (USCAA) rule for the 2023 season got rid of penalty shootouts to decide ties within the conference.

After discussion between the host administraton and both coaches, the 2025 Barkeater Cup was to be decided by penalties.  Enter Peyton Hoffman (Ilion, NY), the starting goalie for the Paul Smith's College women's soccer team who has collected more clean sheets in the last three years than any other keeper in USCAA Women's Division II soccer with 19.  And although she didn't pick up the shutout, her stellar play in net was the reason for the Bobcats' incredible pk win to keep the Barkeater Cup at Paul Smith's College for another year.

It was the hosts who got on the board first as senior forward Matti Swan (Schenectady, NY) continued her impressive season with another goal 17 minutes into the game.  An alert and quick keeper throw after a set-piece save from Hoffman to midfielder Micaela Diller (Marlton, NJ) resulted in a fast break for the Bobcats.  Diller sprinted to midfield after a deft first-touch and sent a beautiful run-on ball to Swan who cut to her left just above the 18-yard-box and smashed the ball past ESF's Sophia McCord to put the hosts up 1-0.

"There's no doubt that this was a well-played game on both sides," said head coach Kelvey McGinnis.  "It was a stressful game to watch but overall, I'm very proud of my team."

Assistant coach Natalee Wrege, an ESF grad who had a storied career for the Mighty Oaks, found herself strategizing and coaching against her alma mater.  "I could not be more proud of this team for their determination, persistence, and grit," said Wrege.  "An early goal was key to a successful outcome and they continued to keep the pressure on ESF until the very end."

The rest of the half remained scoreless, but then, at 67:43 Taylor Weber launched a shot over Hoffman to tie it at 1-1.  Both teams had chances in the remaining 20+ minutes but neither were able to bury the game-winner in regulation, resulting in an official tie.

But the Barkeater Cup does not recognize ties.

The coin flip reulted in the Mighty Oaks choosing to shoot first.  After two rounds with both teams conceding, the third shooter for the visitors stepped up to the line.  Hoffman, having lots of experience in penalty shootouts in previous seasons at USCAA national tournaments, got a good jump and guessed correctly, stopping the ball and giving the Bobcats the advantage.  But she wasn't done yet.  After a PSC miss, the next shooter for the Oaks was also stymied by the Bobcat keeper as the crowd and her team went wild.

"Our goalie, Peyton Hoffman, had two amazing saves and two first year players stepped up to the plate and scored two beautiful goals," recalled McGinnis.

Another successful conversion for each team followed, meaning all the hosts had to do was bury the final shot.  And who better to take that shot than Matti Swan, who has been on fire for the team and is among the top scorer's in the county.  Swan didn't make any mistakes and blasted the ball past McCord to give the Bobcats the victory and retain the Barkeater Cup at home.

"Going into this game we knew we had to work hard," said Hoffman.  "The back line gave it their all and held strong.  I am very proud of how our team performed," the PSC Player of the Game added.

The tie moves the Bobcats to 3-2-1 overall as they pivot back to Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) play next weekend in Maine.  On Saturday at 1:30pm they take on Central Maine CC in Auburn for the Mustangs' Homecoming before playing Southern Maine CC the next day at 12pm in South Portland at the Wainwright Sports Complex.

The team poses with the Barkeater Cup after the game.

You can follow the women's soccer team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_wsoccer or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.