Whether the West Genesee girls soccer team views its back-to-back home games against Class AA favorites Baldwinsville and Liverpool as valuable lessons or lost opportunities remains an open discussion.
For now, though, the reality was that the Wildcats could not muster a goal in either of those two contests, following up a 1-0 defeat to the Bees on Sept. 23 with a 3-0 loss to the Warriors two nights later.
Still without Victoria Bove in the lineup, WG managed to play a strong first half against Liverpool, initiating a series of attacks and runs while having a strong wind at its back. Every time, though, those chances were thwarted, for reasons ranging from offsides whistles to one shot that glanced off the right post.
Liverpool, who played most of the night without one of its top scorers, Carli Kovarik, had to settle for counter-attacks in the early going, but still took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half when Abeba Haley dribbled past two Wildcat defenders and fit a shot past Elizabeth Croft just inside the left post.
It stayed 1-0 deep into the second half. Now playing into the wind, WG could only muster occasional charges against a Warriors defense that had fullbacks and midfielders combining to protect Megan Merrifield, who only had to make two saves.
With 9:06 left, the Wildcats committed a foul just outside the 18-yard box, and Liverpool’s Emily Dorr took full advantage, fitting a free kick to the top right corner of the net to make it 2-0. Less than four minutes later, Bri Kovarik converted on a long run from midfield to put the game away.
WG would play three times in four nights, hosting Rome Free Academy Tuesday and getting beat again by that same 3-0 margin. Owning a 5-2-2 overall record, the Black Knights were far from a pushover, and proceeded to push the Wildcats around, following the Liverpool formula of scoring once in the first half and twice in the second half.
This happened even though WG took twice as many shots, only to see RFA goalie Kaitlyn Salce stop all 10 of them. When the Black Knights had opportunities, they converted, Amanda Wilbert earning one goal and one assist for the visitors as Katherine Migliori and Katharine Belog added goals and Taylor Recco earned an assist.
Then the Wildcats traveled to Fayetteville-Manlius on Thursday and saw its struggles continue in a 3-1 defeat to the Hornets,
WG had beaten F-M 6-2 back on Sept. 13, and with a 2-6-1 mark, the Hornets weren’t expected to make a drastic turnaround. Yet it still happened, F-M grabbing a 2-1 edge by halftime and then spending the second half playing superb defense in front of Sabrina Suriani, who earned six saves.
Haley Elsey netted the Wildcats’ lone goal in the first half, and Croft got seven saves. F-M goals went to Hannah Knych, Ashley Carter and Anna Hartzheim, with Cady Barns and Rachel Dabroski earning assists.
