Sixteen games for the Jamesville-DeWitt girls soccer team – and 16 victories, without a blemish.
That’s what the Red Rams have pulled off, giving itself an even larger target on its backs heading into the Section III Class A playoffs, where a sixth straight championship could await, and perhaps more.
J-D, still no. 2 in the state Class A rankings, got its last real scare in the regular season at Homer last Tuesday night, pushed to overtime by the Trojans, but converting twice in the extra period to prevail 3-1.
Though the Rams got the early edge, leading 1-0 at halftime, Homer, who had beaten Marcellus and East Syracuse-Minoa during a late-season surge, pulled even on Kim Dieroff’s second-half goal. Also, Trojans goalie Lucy Connery was in top form, earning 17 saves overall.
But in the first of two 10-minute OT periods, the Rams beat Connery twice, claiming the lead for good. Caroline Kopp, with one goal and one assist, led J-D’s attack as Alex Catanzarite and Erin Brinley also earned goals. Alex Epifani got credit for an assist.
After that, all J-D had to do was beat Mexico Friday afternoon to complete its undefeated regular season – which it did, topping the Tigers in a stress-free 6-0 effort.
All of the Rams’ successful elements were on display, from an experienced defense that flicked the ball out of its end any time Mexico tried to go in there, to an attack that patiently put pressure on the Tigers until it scored twice in the first half and tripled that margin in the last 40 minutes.
Catanzarite and Kopp both finished with a pair of goals, while Paige Sherling emerged as a force again with a goal and two assists. Lainey Foti had the other goal as Brinley matched Sherling by getting two assists of her own.
The night before, Christian Brothers Academy had met East Syracuse-Minoa in a regular-season finale that had plenty of tension – and also a 1-0 victory for the Brothers over the Spartans.
CBA was out for payback after a 2-1 defeat to ESM on Sept. 18. Back on home turf, the Brothers broke out in front in the first half on Kate LaCasse’s goal, assisted by Chloe Germain.
Then it spent the rest of the night protecting that slim margin. Thanks to her seven saves, ESM goalie Amanda Goodhines kept things close, but the Spartans managed just three shots of its own against a stingy CBA defense.
Prior to that meeting, CBA (8-5-2) and ESM (10-6) had both played on Tuesday night, with divergent results – the Brothers edging Mexico 2-1 at Alibrandi Stadium, the Spartans going to Marcellus and falling to the Mustangs 3-0.
Between Rachel Ladd’s goal and remarkable work in the net from Emma Andrews (who would finish with 18 saves), Mexico grabbed a 1-0 lead on CBA going into halftime.
Yet the Brothers kept up the pressure, pulled even and then grabbed the lead behind goals from Kate LaCasse and Anna Schug, with Emily Ehle adding an assist. In contrast to Andrews’ busy effort, CBA goalie Catherine Burns only had to make five saves.
Meanwhile, ESM was trying to cool off Marcellus, finding some early success in containing the Mustangs’ potent attack.
Then, midway through the half, Jada Sargeant turned the game around for Marcellus, using a long pass to set up Madison Belvito’s breakaway goal, and then scoring herself just 26 seconds later.
Just like that, ESM trailed 2-0, and Sargeant wasn’t done, tacking on a goal early in the second half off Belvito’s corner kick. ESM had many different chances to get on the board, but couldn’t get anything past Marcellus goalie Maggie Fiacchi, who made 10 saves, one more than Goodhines.
When the sectional Class A bracket came out, ESM had the no. 7 seed, and would face no. 10 seed Central Valley Academy, with the winner getting no. 2 seed Watertown in the quarterfinals.
And CBA, moved from Class AA, had the no. 8 seed and would get no. 9 seed Homer, and the winner would get another shot at J-D, the top seed, in the quarterfinals later in the week.
