Reported by: Kaitlyn Genari
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Liverpool man sentenced to 20 years on rape conviction
A man who forcibly raped a woman in the Village of Phoenix in July of 2005 has been convicted. Joseph A. Stefanovich was sentenced to 20 years in state prison by Oswego County Court Judge James Metcalf, for Rape in the First Degree. Stefanovich will also receive five years’ post-release supervision. The conviction pertains to an allegation that Stefanovich grabbed the victim from behind, put her in a chokehold, and dragged her into a wooded area where the offense was committed.
Stefanovich was linked to the case due to a DNA sample from a 2006 case. The DNA was on profile due to a prior sexual offense conviction.
At trial, Stefanovich claimed that his DNA appeared in the rape kit because he had a consensual encounter with the victim on the day of the offense. He told the jury that another person must have raped her later that same day.
The victim testified that she did not know Stefanovich and had never engaged in consensual intercourse with him.
District Attorney Gregory Oakes, the prosecutor of the case, stated that he wanted to commend the victim for having the “strength to come forward and the courage to testify at trial. Our community is now safe from this predator because of her bravery and fortitude. It was an honor to stand up and fight for her in court.”
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Oswego State Volleyball Splits SUNYAC Doubleheader
The Oswego State volleyball team split a doubleheader at Max Ziel Gymnasium this afternoon as they defeated Oneonta 3-1 and then fell to Fredonia by the same score. After today’s games, Oswego is now 9-11 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. Conference foe, Oneonta, falls to 8-14 overall and 2-3 in the SUNYAC with Fredonia moving to 13-7 and 5-1 in the conference.
Against Oneonta, Allison Sullivan and Lauren Fie each had seven kills by the end of the second set to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. While they struggled in the third set, largely due to a 10-2 run by the Red Dragons, Oswego regained their rhythm to win the contest. Leading the Lakers on the court were Alison Berger with 15 assists and Sarah Braddon with 15 digs on defense.
With momentum from their last match on their side, Oswego jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Fredonia. That would be the only set that they would come out on top in though, as crucial runs by the Blue Devils led to wins by scores of 25-12, 25-23, and 25-17. On the offensive side, Allison Sullivan and Laura Finn led the Lakers with eight kills apiece while Julia Flohr contributed eighteen assists as well as six digs on defense.
Oswego’s will be back in action in Canton next Saturday for a doubleheader where they will take on the ‘Roos and Maine Fort-Kent.
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Ponto Reaches Milestone
Oswego senior goalie Angela Ponto recorded her 500th career save in a dominant 11-4 victory on the road against the Potsdam Bears. The Bears put the first goal on the board but the Lakers went on a quick 5 goal run and never looked back. The Lakers added 6 more before Potsdam could even score another goal, making it an 11-0 run until Potsdam scored the final 3 goals of the game. Ponto got her 500th save, and she finished the game at career save number 503, putting her 115 saves past the previous saves record holder. Ponto will keep adding to that lead in the Lakers’ next contest on Saturday when they travel to Oneonta. Game time is set for 1 pm.
