Not in five years had the Chittenango girls soccer team made it as far as in the Section III playoffs as it did this fall. And one had to go all the way back to 2002 to find the last time the Bears stood atop the sectional ranks in a campaign that ran all the way to the state finals.
This was the sort of history Chittenango was trying to overcome when the no. 6 seed Bears faced no. 2 seed New Hartford in Thursday’s Section III Class A semifinal at Camden High School.
Yet it wasn’t the shadows of history that ended Chittenango’s title quest, but rather a determined and tough Spartans side that proved why it was no. 6 in the state rankings by defeating the Bears 3-1.
Anyone wanting to win the sectional title in 2015 faced a daunting task, on two fronts.
First, there was the long shadow of six-time defending champion Jamesville-DeWitt waiting in the finals with a 19-0 record and state no. 2 ranking, though it nearly squandered a three-goal lead and held on to beat Homer 3-2 in the other semifinal played on Chittenango’s own home turf.
Then the weather made it more difficult. Facing forecasts of heavy rain and high winds, Section III pushed back the semifinals 24 hours, meaning that whoever won between Chittenango and New Hartford Thursday would have to turn around and travel to SUNY-Cortland 24 hours later to play J-D in the title game.
Either way, the Bears knew the primary task against the Spartans was stepping up on defense to allow its potent attack a chance to get moving. For a good portion of the first half, that defense did play well, keeping the game 0-0 and making runs at the other end without converting.
Then, in the 24th minute, it all changed. Meral Evke flashed open for New Hartford and slung a shot past Chittenango goalie Katy Myka. Damaging as that was, it got worse five minutes later when Micaela Honsinger chimed in with her goal, doubling the Spartans’ lead to 2-0.
They stayed that way until the second half, with the Bears increasing its pressure but constantly frustrated as New Hartford’s pair of goalies, Abby Buchholz and Gabby Hobika, would combine to make 10 saves.
With 13;32 to play, the Spartans made it 3-0 as Honsinger struck for a second goal. Now all the Bears could do was prevent a shutout – which it did when Lauren Billington netted a late goal.
While New Hartford took its shot at dethroning J-D (and lost, 2-0, to the Red Rams in the sectional final Friday at SUNY-Corltand), Chittenango pondered the end of a 12-7 season under head coach Brian Brzuszkiewicz.
It included big numbers from Billington, who had 25 goals and 16 assists, to go with Kayla Bain’s 28 goals and 14 assists as Ashley Young managed 13 assists and Alli Cerio earned 10 goals.
But all of them are seniors, and replacing them, along with four other seniors, will prove quite daunting for the Bears, just as it was beginning to assert itself as a force on the soccer field again.
