Now the question for the Marcellus girls soccer team was whether its impressive 3-0 romp over state Class B no. 8-ranked Cazenovia on Oct. 4 would lead to more positive results.
An immediate effect was found in last Tuesday’s game at Cortland, where the Mustangs used a big first half to put things away as it beat the Purple Tigers 4-1.
Each of the Marcellus goals came in the first half. Madison Belvito, a quiet figure at times this fall, roared back to life and led the Mustangs’ attack, scoring twice and adding an assist, while Bri Sammon had one goal and one assist.
Keelin Kelly had the other Marcellus goal, with support coming from Jada Sargeant and Shannon White, who each got one assist. Were it not for Cortland goalie Talia Cruz’s 19 saves, it may have turned more lopsided.
Two days later, the Mustangs improved to 10-3-1 and blanked Mexico 3-0, this time proving more patient as it only led 1-0 at the break, thwarted by Tigers goalie Emma Andrews, who would finish the night with 18 saves.
Still, Marcellus got away in the late going, with Belvito and Sammon again pouring in goals and Sargeant landing an assist. A stingy Mustangs defense held Mexico to just three shots.
West Genesee is finding that it is getting closer to the main Class AA title contenders, such as Baldwinsville, whom it pushed in last Tuesday night’s game at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadiumbefore taking a 1-0 defeat to the Bees.
The Wildcats did spend much of the night in a defensive mode, and it needed tremendous efforts from its back line and pair of goalies, Emma Madonna and Rebecca Rothenberg (a combined 12 saves), to keep it within reach.
Yet WG’s attack remained relatively quiet, easily turned back, and as a result, the first-half goal put up by B’ville’s Haley Couchman held up the rest of the way.
Now back at the .500 mark (6-6-1), the Wildcats would venture to Fayetteville-Manlius on Saturday, looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat on Sept. 9 and hurt the Hornets’ playoff prospects, too.
WG could not quite pull it off, though, playing F-M to a 1-1 draw. Petrus scored less than seven minutes into the game to put the Wildcats in front, only to have the Hornets tie it midway through the half. And that’s where it stayed through the second half and 20 minutes of overtime.
Bishop Ludden, gearing up for its showdown with state no. 1-ranked Bishop Grimes on Saturday, started the lead-up last Monday night by putting aside Cato-Meridian 5-1. It didn’t prove easy at first, with the Gaelic Knights clinging to a 2-1 halftime edge thanks to Cato’s goal from Jordan Kacur, but in the second half Ludden got clear.
Emma Driscoll, with two goals and one assist, and Danielle Rauch, also scoring twice, led the way, while Morgan Beamish finished with one goal and one assist. Shannon Hunter added an assist.
Ludden had an easier time of it in Wednesday night’s 7-2 victory over Tyubrn Academy, grabbing a 3-1 halftime edge and then getting further away by having Rauch, Driscoll and Beamish each score twice, with Shannon Hunter and Aubrie Murray getting credit for assists.
Then, on Friday, the Gaelic Knights lost a 2-0 overtime decision to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, keeping the game scoreless until the OT periods, when Davyn Haas and Madisyn Proper found the net, negating Beamish’s 10 saves. Red Devils goalie Samantha Bentley stopped all 12 shots she faced.
Jordan-Elbridge got overwhelmed in a 10-2 loss to Cazenovia that same night, watching the Lakers bolt out to a 9-0 halftime lead before Lexi Malvaso and Emily Somers scored in the second half. Saige Ackerman led Cazenovia with a three-goal hat trick.
A 9-0 defeat to Bishop Grimes followed on Saturday, with Kennedy Yearby and Julia Freeman each getting three-goal hat tricks for the Cobras.
Ludden, meanwhile, shut out Utica-Notre Dame 5-0 on Saturday afternoon. Up 2-0 by halftime, Ludden got away as Hunter, with a goal and two assists, led an attack where five different players – Hunter, Beamish, Colleen Murphy, Megan Sierotnik and Lauren Hosek – had the five goals, and Rauch added an assist.
