A glorious opportunity awaited the Chittenango girls soccer team, given the way that the Section III Class A playoff bracket worked out.
Given the no. 6 seed with its 10-6 overall record, the Bears had to figure that it had a path to the semifinals, given that Central Valley Academy was the no. 3 seed and, perhaps, had not faced as arduous a schedule in the Tri-Valley League as Chittenango did inside and outside the OHSL Freedom division.
Indeed, the Thunder would host the Bears in Thursday afternoon’s Class A quarterfinals. CVA had handled no. 14 seed Camden 4-1 in the opening round, but quickly found out that Chittenango was at a higher level, the Bears blanking the Thunder by a 3-0 margin.
With its trademark attacking style, Chittenango earned a series of opportunities in the first half, and did convert one of them when Lauren Billington, taking a pass from Kayla Bain, fit a shot past CVA goalkeeper Alyssa Wadsworth.
They stayed 1-0 until the midway point of the second half. A Thunder foul inside the 18-yard box gave the Bears a penalty kick, and Billington converted it. Now working with a cushion, Chittenango clinched victory when Bain returned to score with eight minutes left, assisted by Ashley Young.
Though it had gone through its share of ups and downs during the season, Chittenango’s defense was superb here, earning a second straight playoff shutout as Katy Myka stopped all five shots she faced. Wadsworth had eight saves.
All of this followed last Tuesday night’s opening-round game, where the Bears hosted no. 11 seed Mexico and made its return to the sectional playoffs a successful one, shutting out the Tigers by a 4-0 margin.
These teams had met twice during the season. Chittenango rolled through a 6-0 decision on Sept. 12, but Mexico got closer in a 2-1 defeat to the Bears on Oct. 8, so it was difficult to figure which pattern would emerge here.
It turned out to be the first version, one where Chittenango imposed its will and didn’t let go. The Bears were up 2-0 by halftime, and then doubled that margin in the second half as Bain, scoring twice and adding an assist, led the charge.
Billington and Krissy Roberts each had one goal, with Young and Alli Cerio picking up assists. Mexico had a fair share of opportunities, but Katy Myka stopped all six shots she faced as Tigers goalie Krissy Andrews had seven saves.
With the win over Central Valley, Chittenango advanced to the Class A sectional semifinal for the first time since 2010.
In that semifinal, to be held next Thursday at Camden High School, the Bears face no. 2 seed New Hartford, the winner going to the title game a night later at SUNY-Cortland, where six-time defending champion Jamesville-DeWitt could await if the Red Rams top Homer in the other semifinal.
