Is it possible that the Westhill girls soccer team’s biggest obstacle to a third state championship to match the ones earned two decades ago is already cleared?
While it’s true that anyone who reaches the state final four is a high-quality team capable of two more wins in a 24-hours span, regardless of the foe, it’s also true that the Warriors spent the entire season stuck at no. 2 in the state rankings behind top-ranked, defending state champion Schalmont, from Section II.
And it was also the case that the state tournament bracket would pair Westhill and Schalmont together in Tuesday’s regional game at Fulton. For the second post-season game in a row, the Warriors trailed by a goal, came back and pulled it out by a 3-2 margin.
What was different was the way Westhill rallied. Unlike the Oct. 28 Section III final, where it required overtime to overcome a 2-1 deficit to beat Clinton, the Warriors would fall behind earlier in the process against the Sabres, and also make its rally long before regulation time ended.
Westhill was aggressive at the outset, which led to an early corner kick that the Warriors cashed in thanks to Erin McMullen, who took the corner kick from Katelyn Karleski and put home her 20th goal of the season.
Then, just like Clinton did, Schalmont provided an answer, only here it came late in the first half with back-to-back goals, which put Westhill in a 2-1 deficit going in the break. Lesser sides may have folded up, given the high quality of the opponent.
Yet it took less than 60 seconds following intermission for the Warriors to pull back even, 2-2. Again, it started with a quick Westhill attack that forced Schalmont into yielding a corner kick, which Karleski sent to the middle – and Jayanna Monds headed it in the net.
Re-energized by that tying tally, the Warriors picked up its pressure, earned another kick – and converted it again by the same method, Karleski sending in to the middle and Monds converting the header.
Still with a long ways to go, Westhill turned to its defense, who did not disappoint. Abby Stack, Hannah Dorfman, Sam VanBuren and the rest of the back line protected the net, and didn’t let many Sabres shots get to Bella Lavigne, but Lavigne still had to make six saves.
Now if Westhill could prevail Saturday against Section VII champion Beekmantown Saturday in the regional final at Plattsburgh High School, it would reach the state final four.
