What the Westhill and Marcellus girls soccer teams had in common last week was offering challenges to a Chittenango side that had roared out to a 7-0 start this fall.
Going first, the state Class B no. 9-ranked Warriors fell behind the Bears last Tuesday night, but used a midgame outburst to turn it around and, led by Ciarra Rudnick, prevailed 4-1.
Though slow out of the gate, Westhill did have most of the early opportunities. Chittenango weathered them and, in the 27th minutes, took a 1-0 lead when Emily Moon’s free kick from the right corner was deflected in by Ally Shoemaker.
Everything changed when, less than four minutes before halftime, Bears goalie Cassidy Kelly could not hold on to Rudnick’s initial shot from a cross by Ashley Bolesh and Rudnick tapped in the rebound.
The 1-1 tie lasted all of 56 seconds in the second half before Bolesh, after Kelly’s spectacular diving stop on a Rudnick shot, sped in and converted the rebound. Then Erica Gangemi scored on a breakaway less than five minutes later, again assisted by Rudnick
Those three goals in a span of less than nine minutes proved decisive, though Gangemi would add a second goal, again off a feed from Rudnick, who had three assists on the night.
When state no. 15-ranked Marcellus met Chittenango two nights later, it turned into a back-and-forth thriller that went deep into overtime before the Mustangs got the decisive goal and prevailed 3-2.
Most of the first half was scoreless until the Mustangs’ Sara Milniecki scored in the 36th minute, assisted by Hannah Durand, and Sarah Fallon found the net less than five minutes into the second half.
But the Bears showed lots of resolve, getting on the board when Moon’s corner kick was put home by Maryanna Garcia, and tying it 2-2 when another Moon corner deflected off several players before Shoemaker converted.
So it went to overtime, and much of the 20 minutes went without a decisive goal. Then, with 2:10 left, Sarah Fallon’s cross was charged by Mielnicki, but she faked a shot and, instead, Katie MacLachlan put the ball past Cassidy Kelly,
Back on Tuesday, Marcellus had fought past Cazenovia 2-1, with Fallon getting the first goal, assisted by Sam Wynne, and MacLachlan earning what proved to be the game-winner off a feed from Mei LaMarre. That offset the lone Lakers goal from Annie Baldwin.
Then, after beating Chittenango, Marcellus faced Carthage Saturday, topping the Comets 3-0 as LaMarre scored less than two minutes into the game, Lily Locastro converted on a one-on-one breakaway in the 30th minute and Locastro struck again in the second half, this time assisted by Durand.
As Marcellus was battling Chittenango, Westhill was rolling past Solvay 5-0, and the five goals came from five different players – Rudnick, Gangemi, Bolesh, Brooke Zollo and Mia Herrera. Lauren Holstein, Reilly Geer and Hannah Thayer earned assists.
