Right up to the end of the regular season, the Cazenovia girls soccer team kept testing itself, hoping those tests would lead to a bit more resolve once the Section III Class B playoffs got underway.
Each of the last two games came against a state-ranked opponent, including a crucial test Thursday night at state Class B no. 8-ranked Marcellus that produced one of the biggest victories in recent memory for the Lakers as defense made the difference in a 1-0 shutout of the Mustangs.
With the level of competition stepped up, Cazenovia could not count on the same kind of offensive theatrics it had shown against so many other foes. Instead, it made sure the back line was sound, and while it made plenty of stops in the first half, it also gained a lead when Saige Ackermann put in an unassisted goal.
Marcellus goalie Grace Coon stopped everything else and recorded nine saves. All throughout the second half, though, any time Marcellus pushed and got near the net, Cazenovia turned them back, deflecting shots so Hannah Matteson only had to make seven saves for a well-earned shutout.
Then Liverpool, holding the no. 15 state Class AA ranking but coming off a loss to West Genesee by the same 1-0 margin that Cazenovia used to conquer Marcellus, visited the Sean Googin Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Perhaps the combination of the Lakers still basking in the Marcellus win and the Warriors angry about falling to West Genesee had something to do with it, but Liverpool roared to a 7-1 win, led by Bri Kovarik, who netted four goals and added an assist as Carli Kovarik scored twice.
Only Kirsten Underwood’s goal, assisted by Ackermann, broke up a possible shutout, with each of the other eight Cazenovia shots scooped up by Liverpool goalie Megan Merrifield as Matteson matched her Marcellus total of seven saves.
The week got underway for Cazenovia with a visit to Solvay last Tuesday night and an 8-0 romp where Ackermann powered her side to a 5-0 lead by scoring three of those goals for a hat trick, also contributing a pair of assists by game’s end.
Underwood and Brenna Hughes made sure it wasn’t a one-player effort, either, as each of them scored twice and Underwood added an assist. Emily Reff tacked on a goal and, despite facing some pressure, Hannah Matteson earned eight saves for the shutout.
Chittenango is also bound for the sectional tournament and had a busy closing stretch, starting with last Tuesday’s 6-0 shutout over Pulaski that gave the Bears its playoff-clinching seventh win of the fall.
True, the Bears took its time putting away Pulaski, but it still owned a 2-0 halftime lead before tripling its margin on the blue Devils in the last 40 minutes, with five different Chittenango players earning goals by game’s end.
Only Jessica Shepard scored twice, with Sarah Martin picking up a goal and two assists. Ally Shoemaker, Tiffany Scofield and McKenzie Dahlin each had one goal, with Kaiden Williams, Morgan Shoemaker and Lauren Hardy earning one assist apiece.
Back home Thursday night, Chittenango took on Phoenix and blanked the Firebirds 4-0. Two goals in each half proved enough as four different Bears – Martin, Shepard, Ally Shoemaker and Megan Pierce – earned those goals, with Dahlin joining Martin and Shoemaker in the assist column.
A far bigger challenge arose on Saturday as the Bears faced the same Marcellus side that had just lost to Cazenovia. It also served as a “Kickin Out Cancer” game that benefited the More Than A Game Foundation, which helps raise funds for the Upstate Cancer Center at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
The game proved great, too, Chittenango hanging tough in a 3-2 defeat to the Mustangs. A pair or first-half goals by Anna Vetsch, plus a tally by Macie Szalach, had Marcellus up 3-1 at halftime, but the Bears fought back as Pierce and Martin also scored and Dardaris made eight saves, but the rally fell just short.
And when all the games were done, the sectional Class B playoff bracket revealed that Cazenovia was the no. 5 seed and Chittenango the no. 12 seed – so they would face each other Tuesday night in the opening round, with the winner going to the quarterfinals against no. 4 seed Skaneateles or no. 13 seed Jordan-Elbridge.
