No less than three area high school girls soccer teams found themselves tested in a big way during their appearances in last weekend’s Hall of Fame Tournament at Niskayuna.
Marcellus was a featured attraction, partially due to long-time head cocah Laurie Updike’s induction into the New York State Girls Soccer Hall of Fame, but also because of the way it took apart rival Westhill 6-0 in its season opener earlier that week.
Against Section VI’s Lancaster, the Mustangs played to a 2-2 draw, but it was a good result given that the Legends are a Class AAA school and had jumped on Marcellus, leading 2-0 by halftime.
Corrine Aldrich and Lexie Fraginto, who both netted goals and Westhill here, did so in the second half to key the Marcellus comeback, and Tenly Baker was sensational in the net, shutting out Lancaster late and running her total to 15 saves.
A 3-0 shutout of Washingtonville followed on Sunday, the Mustangs getting two more goals from Lexie Fragnito and another from Corrine Aldrich. Marielle Kennedy finished with an assist.
West Genesee split its games in the tournament as, in the opener, it edged Section II’s Shaker 4-3 by making its own rally after trailing 3-2 through 40 minutes.
Keying the comeback, Addison Kensey had a part in all four goals, converting twice and assisting on both of Maddy Mango’s goals. Anna Nelson and Chelsea Donaldson added assists as Julia Poissant, after a rough start, earned a second-half shutout on her way to 10 saves.
A day later, WG lost, 1-0, to Long Island Power Massapequa, surrendering its lone goal in the second half just as Westhill got into the win column turning back.
Back on Saturday, Westhill lost 2-1 to Washingtonville, from Long Island, all of the goals coming in the first half as Schuyler Auringer scored for the Warriors, the assist credited to Bella Gallardo.
Then Westhill rebounded Sunday to blank Section VI’s Iroquois 4-0, led by Kara Rosenberger, who scored twice and tacked on an assist to help the Warriors lead 3-0 by halftime. Auringer converted again, as did Allison Langham, with a single assist credited to Grace Stroman.
Back on Tuesday night, it was two more strong sides squaring off, and the game proved a great one, too, with Skaneateles doing just enough to top Bishop Ludden 2-1.
The Lakers, 12-6-1 a season ago, met a Gaelic Knights side coming off its own 16-4 campaign and possessing one of the best attackers in the area in Ashley Pawelczyk, who had 35 goals and 18 assists in 2023.
Keying on her, Skaneateles kept Pawelczyk off the board, yet still found itself even at 1-1 going into halftime as Keating Morrissey had her goal equaled by Ludden’s Jane Fallon, who scored off a feed from Grace Olivia.
Morrissey returned in the second half to net the eventual game-winner, and helped by Mara Stanton stopping 11 of the 12 shots she faced, the Lakers held on in the late going.
Ludden got into the win column on Friday in the opening round of the Watertown IHC Tournament, beating Massena 3-1 as Pawelczyk nabbed her first two goals of the season and Olivia converted, too.
Then the Gaelic Knights routed IHC 7-1 in the championship game, scoring four times in the second half to break free as Pawelczyk, Elizabeth Gaughan and Evelyn Allers had two goals apiece, with Sophia Chemotti also converting.
Jordan-Elbridge began last Thursday against Section IV’s Marathon, with the Eagles keeping it scoreless until the second half, when the Olympians converted twice on goals by Paityn Contri and Megan Stewart to prevail 2-0. The Eagles then lost 3-1 to Manlius Pebble Hill despite a goal by Briella Gilfus and eight saves from Kelsey Brunelle.
