For the fifth time in seven years, the Skaneateles boys soccer team earned a trip to the Section III Class B championship game.
Yet for sheer excitement, it would be difficult to top the way the Lakers got there this time around.
Jack Bailey’s goal less than 30 seconds into overtime ended a tense battle between no. 2 seed Skaneateles and no. 3 seed Clinton in Wednesday night’s Class B semifinal at Chittenango High School, the Lakers surviving to beat the Warriors 1-0.
The fact that Bailey did score so quickly in the extra period was fitting, given that he had missed on a penalty kick late in the second half with the game still scoreless. It was also ironic because of all the close calls Skaneateles, no. 9 in the latest state Class B rankings, went through in regulation during this tense, back-and-forth contest.
With the game just five minutes old, a promising corner kick slid across Clinton’s crease without a Lakers player touching it. Then goalie Billy Patrick got involved with a punch save on Nick Williams’ long early attempt.
Going in, Skaneateles new it had to focus its defensive strategy on containing Gavin Gleasman, the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer. Yet Gleasman just missed on an early assist when Patrick interrupted his pass to Jack Hughes in front of the Lakers’ net in the 15th minute.
Things settled down a bit, with the likes of Bailey and Eli Goodell sending clear shots over the net, until late in the half, when Shawn Palmer had to go back on defense to make a key stop on another close Clinton chance, leaving it 0-0 going to the break.
Early in the second half, Skaneateles was getting the better of the play, using a series of runs to put heat on Clinton goalie Max Huckaby. Time and again, Huckaby made the necessary stops.
In the 55th minute, the Warriors again nearly went in front, Gleasman flashing open with nothing in front of him but the net – and still missing the target, to his own disbelief.
Bailey’s first moment of truth arrived with 14:43 left in regulation, as Clinton was called for a handball inside the 18-yard box, setting up the penalty kick. Trying to aim away from Huckaby, Bailey shot right – and missed the net.
Not fazed by this, the Lakers kept on attacking, and kept on getting rejected. Then it caught a break in the last minute of regulation when Gleasman initiated contact inside the 18-yard box and went down. Despite the calls for a penalty kick by the Warriors’ bench, none was given.
So that meant overtime, up to 30 minutes of sudden death. But it only lasted 29 seconds.
Determined to end it, Bailey found space 25 yards from Clinton’s net. With time to line up a shot, Bailey hit it at just the right distance and velocity, the ball crashing into the net and eluding Huckaby and sending Skaneateles into a celebration.
Once that celebration was done, all eyes could focus on Tuesday night’s Class B sectional final at Liverpool High School Stadium between no. 2 seed Skaneateles and no. 1 seed Cazenovia, who had a far easier time getting through its semifinal, shutting out General Brown 3-0.
In two regular-season meetings, Skaneateles didn’t lose to Cazenovia, prevailing 2-0 on Sept. 5 and pulling out a 0-0 draw on Oct. 13. The third encounter would determine if Cazenovia claimed its first-ever sectional championship – or if Skaneateles ended a four-year title drought.
