EAST SYRACUSE – Where once it trended in the other direction, now the East Syracuse Minoa girls soccer team has the clear upper hand on its neighbors from Jamesville-DeWitt.
And in their lone regular-season encounter last Thursday night at Spartan Stadium, the Red Rams did all it could to reverse this trend, only to have ESM stay perfect in 2022, prevailing by a score of 3-0.
Not only were the Spartans unbeaten going into the game and no. 5 in the state Class A rankings, it still had not surrendered a goal this fall, outscoring its seven opponents a combined 38-0.
Only Baldwinsville, in a 1-0 decision on Sept. 12, had stayed close, but in the first half of this game J-D, no. 20 in the state rankings with a 5-1-1 record, managed to turn back everything ESM tried and kept it 0-0.
However, the second half saw the breakthrough as Leah Rehm, continuing her season-long scoring rampage, netted a pair of goals, her 15th and 16th of the season.
Angelina Polcaro had the other goal, with Ashley Praxi, Natalie Peterson and Bailey Rehm all getting assists as, again, the Spartans defense proved inpenetrable, holding the Rams to four shots, all stopped by Isabelle Chavoustie.
The fun for ESM continued in Thursday’s 10-0 romp over Auburn, with seven of those goals coming in a first-half barrage where a variety of Spartans joined in.
Peterson, with a three-goal hat trick, led the charge. Polcaro scored twice and got a pair of assists, while Leah Rehm had a goal and three assists. Praxi, Laura Markert and Alina Krdicz each had one goal and one assist as Leah Chavoustie added a goal. Khloe Welch and Kayli Montroy earned assists.
Saturday brought the annual “Kara Day” festitivies to ESM, and the girls soccer Spartans would battle Liverpool, its fourth Class AA opponent this fall.
But with the Warriors playing for the sixth time in eight days and ESM energized by seeing its boys soccer team rally past powerful Baldwinsville, the Spartans strode to yet another shutout victory, this one by a 4-0 margin.
And what made this win even better was seeing players step up like Jazzel Meikelham, who delivered a pair of goals as she and Peterson, who had a goal and two assists, led the way.
It hardly mattered that Leah Rehm was held to a single assist as Miekelham, Peterson and Polcaro, who had a goal and assist, set the pace and ESM’s defense again shut the door, Chavoustie only having to make five saves.
