Regardless of where they stood in the standings, or where they would get placed in the Section III Class C playoff bracket, the Bishop Grimes and Manlius-Pebble Hill girls soccer teams will always have tough battles with each other.
They did so again last Tuesday afternoon, on the Trojans’ home turf, with an early goal proving just enough for the Cobras to hang on for a 1-0 victory.
In its previous game, Grimes had lost, 4-2, to Tully at Onondaga Community College on Oct. 8. Thus, they switched places in the state Class C rankings, with the Black Knights now no. 4 and the Cobras no. 6 behind unbeaten, top-ranked Sauquoit Valley.
On the other hand, MPH was winless in its previous three games, and was desperate for a turnaround. To a degree, they got one thanks to a tough defense that never let Grimes do much, with goalkeeper Liza Bruno recording eight saves.
Once, though, the Cobras did break through for a goal, in the first half. And it held up the rest of the way as Grimes turned back all of the Trojans’ challenges, seeing goalie Marissa Curtis stop all six shots she faced for the shutout.
Grimes would return home for its last two regular-season games, starting Thursday against Faith Heritage, where it proved far more relaxing for the Cobras as it took the Saints apart in an 8-1 romp.
Yearby continued to add to her totals with a three-goal hat trick, while Sidney Dobbins scored twice and added a pair of assists. Bella Naylor, Molly McInerney and Autumn Naggi also put in goals by game’s end.
Then, in Saturday’s non-league tilt with McGraw, the Cobras matched its Faith Heritage total and blanked the Eagles 8-0. During a second-half getaway that included six scoring plays, Yearby didn’t stop until she had four goals on the board, with Dobbins, McInerney, Maddy Pelosi and Jordan Sloan taking turns getting single goals.
MPH would visit Bishop Ludden on Thursday night, and get run over in a 4-0 loss to the Gaelic Knights. Bruno and Sarah Smith made 10 saves between them, but the Gaelic Knights found the net twice in each half, with Emma Driscoll (two goals) and Shannon Hunter (one goal, one assist) leading the way.
Then the Trojans paid a Saturday visit to Pulaski, where it lost, 3-2, to the Blue Devils. Goals by Lisa Morocco and Maggie Sexton-Dwyer produced a 2-2 halftime tie, but Pulaski inched out in front in the second half and held on as Samantha McNitt scored twice and Jackie Booth added a goal. Abby Ward had 10 saves, four more than Bruno.
The 14-2 regular season ultimately gave Grimes the no. 3 seed for the sectional Class C tournament, behind no. 2 seed Tully (14-1-1) and top-seeded, state no. 1-ranked Sauquoit Valley (16-0).
The Cobras meet no. 14 seed Pulaski in the first round on Tuesday as MPH, the no. 13 seed, visits no. 4 seed Beaver River, the team that knocked out Grimes in the semifinals a year ago.
While all this was going on, East Syracuse Minoa, working toward a sectional Class A tournament appearance, ventured to Oswego last Tuesday night and settled matters early in a 6-1 rout of the Buccaneers.
Marissa Greiner proved unstoppable for the Spartans, finding the net four times as ESM led 4-0 by halftime and then kept going. Franchesca Polcaro had one goal and one assist, with Mallory Ott also finding the net. Lauren Ott added two assists as Tate Kohlbrenner got credit for an assist.
Since ESM had a 5-4 league record, it had a playoff spot sewn up and didn’t need to win at state Class B no. 14-ranked Marcellus on Thursday night, and indeed the Mustangs beat the Spartans 5-1, with Polcaro landing her team’s lone goal early in the second half off a feed from Lauren Ott before Marcellus got away.
A full 16-team sectional Class A bracket had ESM as the no. 13 seed, needing to win at no. 4 seed Watertown in Tuesday’s opening round to reach a quarterfinal against Homer or Oswego.
