Whether in a summer heat or an autumn chill, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls soccer team found top form in a hurry – and claimed the title of the Jamesville-DeWitt Girls Soccer Tournament on Labor Day weekend.
Highlighting this effort, the Hornets used an offensive explosion in the first half of Saturday’s championship game to beat the hosts from J-D in a 4-0 shutout.
Going into the tournament, it was the Red Rams, under coach Hayley Nies, carrying the mantle of defending Section III champions, having claimed the Class A crown in 2009. Nine seniors departed from that squad, but standouts like Tessa Devereaux, Jessica Holmes and Maddy Devereaux remained.
F-M, meanwhile, brings back six starters from last fall’s squad that reached the sectional Class AA semifinals. If nothing else, coach Kory McMahon knows he has a potent attack, as this tournament proved.
Both the Hornets and Red Rams cruised to first-round wins on Friday as F-M dismissed New Hartford 6-0 and J-D defeated Watertown 6-2.
Against the Spartans, F-M kept patient, only leading 1-0 at the half before converting five times in the second half.
Cheyenne Hall and Marri Ryu each finished with two goals, while seniors Bri Dolan and Brenna Kincaid got the other tallies. Morgan Same, Allison Baynes, Sarah Rosenbaum and Michaela Steadman picked up assists.
By contrast, J-D took over early against Watertown, sprinting out to a 4-0 first-half lead against the Cyclones, and the Devereaux sisters had much to do with it.
Tessa Devereaux picked up a three-goal hat trick as Maddy Devereaux got two goals. Holmes scored, too, with Emily Nuss, Emily Elbers and Olivia Forlenda reaching the assist column.
This set up Saturday’s final, which followed Watertown beating New Hartford 4-1 in the consolation game. Most figured on a close contest, but F-M soon changed those notions as it took full advantage of a ferocious tailwind and temperatures 25 degrees cooler than the day before.
Less than 12 minutes into the game, Hall got open in the middle and clubbed a hard shot into the top of the net inside the crossbar. Less than two minutes later, Hall returned and converted again, making it 2-0.
Before J-D could even comprehend it, F-M attacked again – and scored again, Allie Byrnes converting. Those three goals had come in a span of 2:32.
Just for further reinforcement, Same scored in the 28th minute when J-D goalie Emma Esposito could not hold on to a long shot. The Rams would get a whole host of chances to get on the board, but the Hornets’ sophomore keeper, Nina Quigley, turned them all away.
As this went on, East Syracuse-Minoa had its 2010 opener on Friday – and lost a 3-0 decision to Homer.
The Trojans, like F-M against J-D, got all of its goals in the first half against the Spartans as Jessica Parmiter, Rayne Perry and Kindra Kohne found the net. In defeat, ESM goalie Casie Auricchio made 11 saves.
