Already, the Skaneateles girls soccer team knew that it was good. Now it knows that it could end up doing something special.
The combination of an active, athletic defense and a beautiful scoring play in the second half helped the Lakers knock off defending Section III Class B champion Marcellus 1-0 Tuesday night at Hyatt Stadium.
For Catie Woodruff, who scored the game’s lone goal, the victory was, both of herself and her teammates, the culmination of years of frustration trying to beat its neighbor and main rival.
“We’ve never beaten Marcellus, going back to modified play,” said Woodruff. “This means everything, and it sets the tone for the rest of the season.
Skaneateles head coach Todd Cook said that his team’s early-season adversity, which included a 2-1 win over Cazenovia without several starters on Aug. 30, and then getting past Homer 1-0 in overtime on Sept. 14, gave them real challenges and ample preparation for Marcellus.
Both teams came into the game undefeated – Skaneateles at 8-0, Marcellus at 7-0. Yet it was the Mustangs that carried the favorite’s role, for good reason.
Not only had the Mustangs dominated its recent meetings in the Lakers, it had not trailed once in any of its seven games, outscoring its foes by a combined 42-1 margin.
Against these odds, Skaneateles did not flinch, settling into its defensive rhythm in the early stages and maintaining it the rest of the night, much to the Mustangs’ frustration.
From starters Lauren Goodchild, Taylor Woodruff, Melissa Amory and Kayla Sears to midfielders Elizabeth Lane and Tori Field, they kept flying back to the ball any time the Mustangs’ top three forwards – Madi Belvito, Jada Sargeant and Brielle Filtch – sprinted into the Skaneateles end. And freshman goalie Sophie Kush coolly handled every shot flung at her.
At first, the Lakers couldn’t take advantage of this brilliant defensive effort. Catie Woodruff dribbled around Marcellus goalie Maggie Fiacchi in the 14th minute and had an open net, but hit it long. And Makenzie Felicia’s brilliant defensive mood late in the half broke up Tate Green’s scoring chance, keeping it 0-0 going into the break.
Less than eight minutes into the second half, Woodruff atoned for her earlier near-miss, igniting a run to the net with a touch pass to Nicole Beatson on the right side.
Beatson then passed it to Green on the wing, and Green’s cross found Woodruff, open in the middle, and she slid the shot past the Mustangs’ other goalie, Emily Buschbascher, into the net.
Then the Lakers’ defense went back to work, turning away all of the Mustangs’ chances in the remaining half-hour to preserve a landmark victory.
After a couple of days to savor this win, Skaneateles heads to the Niagara Falls area this Friday and Saturday to play in the Lewiston-Porter Tournament.
