Other than a Sept. 28 tie with Bishop Ludden at Onondaga Community College, the Bishop Grimes girls soccer team never had a blemish in the 2013 regular season.
The state Class C no. 4-ranked Cobras clinched both that unbeaten mark and the OHSL Patriot division regular-season title, starting with the league crown last Tuesday with a 6-0 shutout over Cato-Meridian.
Never letting up with its attack, Grimes scored three times in each half and saw eight different players earn goals or assists by the time it was done.
Kennedy Yearby and Julia Freeman led the way, each finding the net twice. Toni Laneve and Erin Kilpatrick put in singles goals, while four others – Katrina Fandrich, Seanna Laneve, Isabella Naylor and Molly McInerney – picked up assists.
To finish the unbeaten regular season, Grimes still had to beat Fabius-Pompey on Saturday after wet field conditions caused a 24-hour postponement.
Manlius-Pebble Hill, fighting for a post-season berth, ran into 11-2 Tully last Tuesday afternoon and took a 2-0 defeat to the Black Knights.
Though Krysten Robinson recorded eight saves and mostly kept the Black Knights out of the net, Grace Johnson scored twice, once in each half, and pushed Tully out in front, its defense limiting the Trojans to just two direct shots.
The Trojans did turn it around on Friday, routing LaFayette 6-0 as it notched most of its goals in the second half following a 2-0 first-half push. Jordan Dunaway-Barlow notched the first three-goal hat trick of her varsity career, with Annie Simmonds, Alexa Melendez Martineau and Maura Colley getting one goal apiece. All told, MPH took 23 shots to the Lancers’ two.
But in a rematch with Tully on Saturday, the Trojans lost a more narrow 1-0 decision, as Robinson made eight saves, but watched as a first-half Black Knights goal held up.
Neighbors got together in boys soccer last Thursday afternoon, and it was Manlius-Pebble Hill again on top, roaring past Bishop Grimes 4-0 to clinch a winning record for the 2013 season.
Though the Cobras stayed close in the first half, the Trojans still inched into a 1-0 lead, and got away in the latter stages behind goals from Drew Giles, Gerrit Church and Wahhaj Beg. John Alley added an assist as Grimes goalie Jack Rotundo finished with eight saves.
Just before that, Grimes’ post-season hopes took a real blow in last Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat to Bishop Ludden. Though Richie Kane found the net for the Cobras in the first half, the Gaelic Knights still seized a 2-1 edge by the break, and doubled that margin late, overcoming Rotundo’s 11 saves. Tom Muller, Joe Spano and Ralph Romano earned Ludden’s goals.
At least on Saturday, Grimes rallied to beat Jordan-Elbridge 2-1, overcoming Colby Falcone’s first-half goal for the Eagles by getting Dar Rinker and Nick Commisso to find the net in the second half. Dan Ostaszewski played in goal and made five saves.
For the Manlius-Pebble Hill boys, the Section III Class C playoffs will have a familiar ring, since as the no. 5 seed it will visit OHSL Patriot division rival Tully, the no. 4 seed, in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in a split girls Class C bracket, Bishop Grimes is the top seed in C-2 and plays in the quarterfinals Thursday against the winner of Tuesday’s opening-round game between Waterville and Onondaga. A Cobras win means a trip to the semifinals against Sandy Creek or Beaver River.
MPH did make it as the no. 7 seed in C-2, headed to face no. 2 seed Fabius-Pompey in Thursday night’s quarterfinal, with Morrisville-Eaton or Dolgeville awaiting the winner of that one.
