All is in place Monday night when the Westhill and Marcellus girls soccer team clash again, this time on the Mustangs’ home turf, to see who will have the edge going into next week’s Section III Class B playoffs.
The memory of how the Warriors prevailed 3-2 on Sept. 21, scoring twice in the span of a minute in the first half to move in front for good, fuels Marcellus. So does the fact that, after a series of close calls with the likes of Homer and Skaneateles early this month, it has resumed its winning ways.
First, the Mustangs dismantled Hannibal 10-2 last Tuesday afternoon, watching as Brielle Filtch and Molly MacLachlan both landed three-goal hat tricks, with MacLachlan adding an assist.
Alanna Todd found the net twice, while Jackie Epp and Molly Caldwell put in the other goals (it was Caldwell’s first of the season). Kathryn Busa and Lexy Bird both had two assists, with Rebecca Nolan, Dani Felty and Teresa Finn adding assists, too.
The last tune-up came Friday, at Solvay, where the Mustangs battled past the Bearcats 3-1.
It was only a 1-0 game at halftime, but the Mustangs (12-1) got away in the latter stages, helped by a strong effort in the net from Margaret Choroser, who made eight saves.
On the offensive end, Busa, Filtch and MacLachlan each scored, with Epp adding an assist. Alexis Bandera netted Solvay’s lone goal in the first half as Chelsea Root recorded six saves.
Solvay had already lost 6-3 to Cazenovia earlier in the week. Despite goals from Loren Lucio, Nicole Antonacci and Erin Ryan, plus Michelle Slowik’s pair of assists, the Bearcats could not keep up as the Lakers’ Kristi Kleine pummeled them with four goals and one assist.
A day later, the Bearcats rebounded, beating Homer 3-2. All the goals came in the second half as Slowik found the net twice and Bandera also scored. Root’s nine saves helped counteract the work of Homer’s Kim Dieroff and Jessica Parmiter, each of whom had one goal and one assist.
Not that Westhill was quiet in this sequence. The Warriors, in the first of two meetings with Cazenovia in as many weeks, topped the Lakers 4-0 as they made up a Sept. 28 weather postponement at the Sean Goggin Sports Complex.
Though the shot disparity was not large, Westhill succeeded in converting on its chances. Maggie Tripodi found the net twice, while Lindsey Lippert had one goal and one assist. Kelly Ristoff also had a goal as Brenna Rainone gained an assist. Sam Peebles stopped all eight shots she faced.
The Warriors had already shut out Jordan-Elbridge 5-0 on Tuesday afternoon. Lippert, with two goals and one assist, led the way, while Ristoff, Tripodi and Nicole Easterly earned the other goals. Rainone, as she would against Cazenovia, added an assist. J-E also lost 4-0 to Cazenovia.
Following the Cazenovia game, Westhill took out Homer 3-0 on Saturday, clearing the last hurdle before the encounter with Marcellus, but not without some stress.
It was 0-0 at halftime, but the Warriors (13-1) fought through the wind and cold temperatures to take over in the second half. Ristoff scored twice, while Rainone notched the other goal. Lindsey Lippert and Kelly Lippert each had one assist.
