For the second season in a row, the Bishop Grimes girls soccer team finds itself undefeated and a consensus favorite going into the Section III Class C playoffs.
But the Cobras know that such expectations can lead to heartbreak, as it did in last season’s playoff defeat to Waterville, and the fact that it’s carried the no. 1 state Class C ranking for a month has only added to the pressure.
Perhaps, then, it was good for Grimes to face rival Bishop Ludden in Friday’s regular-season finale, and primed for the occasion, Kennedy Yearby personally put the Gaelic Knights away with a first-half natural hat trick that led to a 3-1 victory.
Not only did Ludden go into the game with a 10-4-1 record, it had pushed Grimes hard in a 2-1 decision back on Sept. 12. That, plus the fact that many of the players on these teams work together in the spring on the combined Grimes-Ludden girls lacrosse team, added to the occasion.
And Yearby made sure it went in the Cobras’ favor. Three times in the first half, Yearby got open in front of Ludden’s net, and managed to fire shots past goalie Kara Beamish. One of the goals was unassisted, while Toni Laneve and Julia Freeman managed assists on the other scoring plays.
Now it was up to Grimes’ defense to protect that 3-0 advantage. Though Emma Driscoll scored in the second half to get the Gaelic Knights on the board, the Cobras turned back every other chance, Jillian Firenze recording five saves overall.
Manlius-Pebble Hill’s boys soccer team, no. 12 in the state Class C rankings and fresh off a big Oct. 10 win over Fabious-Pompey, met Bishop Grimes in the regular-season finale for both sides last Friday afternoon, and it was the Trojans in full control, blanking the Cobras 3-0.
Constant pressure from MPH’s front line led to a 1-0 halftime lead, and despite Dan Ostaszewski’ s 16 saves, the Trojans pulled away late with a well-balanced attack.
Three different players – Bryce Church, Marcus Johnson and Ini Oguntola – scored for MPH, with three others – Gerrit Church, Phil Kim and Nate Barton – getting credit for assists.
Before that, MPH prevailed over Tyburn Academy by that same 3-0 margin last Tuesday, Gerrit Church scoring two of the goals as Luke McQueeney also found the net. Johnson added an assist.
Staying in top form, the Trojans defeated Moravia 4-0 on Wednesday afternoon, ignoring the rain and possible fatigue from back-to-back games by getting to a 3-0 halftime lead. Church, with a goal and two assists, stayed in top form as Johnson, Kim and Alex Martinez took turns finding the net, too. Jayson Staiger added an assist.
To start its week, Grimes hosted Bishop Ludden last Tuesday, and kept the game even for a while before a late surge by the Gaelic Knights led to a 2-0 defeat. ,
Having won their first meeting 2-1 on Sept. 18, Ludden found Grimes more stingy in the rematch, especially in the early going, the Gaelic Knights unable to get a shot past Cobras goalie Jack Rotondo, who would make nine saves.
But Ludden would break through in the second half, getting goals from Liam Katko and Lucas Scutari, and then watching as the defense preserved that lead thanks to eight saves from goalkeeper Adam Lockwood.
A day later, Grimes lost a 2-1 non-league game to Jordan-Elbridge, seeing Nick Falcone and Javier Wood score in the first half to establish a 2-0 edge for the Eagles.
Trying to rally, the Cobras pulled within one on Dan Ostaszewski’s goal in the second half, but could get nothing more past J-E goalie Max Bondgren, who had six saves. Rotondo finished with eight saves.
As for MPH’s girls soccer team, it needed two wins in its last three games to get playoff-eligible, and earned one of them last Wednesday with a 3-0 shutout over the LaFayette Lancers.
Anna Curtis, with one goal and one assist, led an early Trojans surge amid rainy conditions. Cady Ridall and Jordan Dunaway-Barlow also found the net, with Anna Barnard adding an assist.
Back home on Thursday to face Onondaga, MPH gained a 2-1 overtime victory over the Tigers and, with that, wrapped up its playoff spot.
It was 0-0 until an exchange of second-half goals, but then the Trojans pulled ahead in the first OT and stayed there as Lisa Morocco and Bianca Melendez-Martineau earned the decisive goals.
With the Class C sectional bracket exchanged to 17 teams, MPH had to win a play-in game against South Lewis Tuesday to perhaps meet Grimes, the top seed, in the next round.
On the boys side in the Class C sectional tournament, MPH is the no. 3 seed, but has to face no. 14 seed Cooperstown in the opening round, just as Grimes, the no. 13 seed, visited no. 4 seed Watertown IHC. If the Trojans win, it would face Thousand Islands or Herkimer, while the Cobras are looking to advance to a quarterfinal against Tully or Mount Markham.
