True, it’s just early September, but the Cazenovia girls soccer team is awful glad to have Hannah Matteson on hand to stop opponent’s shots.
Without Matteson, it’s doubtful the Lakers have any early-season wins, but her efforts contributed to wins in two of its first three games, including a big 2-1, come-from-behind overtime victory over Christian Brothers Academy at the Sean Googin Sports Complex.
CBA was just coming off a win over Marcellus by that same 2-1 margin two days earlier, and took the lead here, too, on Grace Hulslander’s first-half goal. But that was all the Cazenovia defense would allow as Matteson continued to dazzle, recording 12 saves overall.
Sparked by that defense, the Lakers waited for its own opportunity, and got it when, on a free kick just outside the 18-yard box early in the second half, Jamie Joseph found the net, tying it 1-1, where it stayed for the rest of regulation.
In girls soccer, they play two full 10-minute overtime periods. The first OT went scoreless, but with 6:18 left in the second extra period Brenna Hughes, off a feed from Joseph, broke through CBA’s defenses, went in alone and blasted a shot past Brothers goalie Catherine Burns, which proved the game-winner.
Matteson also had to do plenty of work in the Lakers’ season opener Sept. 1 at Bishop Ludden, under constant attack but able to stop enough to allow her teammates to have a chance to win – which it did, beating the Gaelic Knights 2-1.
The only reason it was 0-0 at halftime was because Matteson, with lots of help from here Cazenovia defensive mates, were turning away waves of Ludden runs.
All that the Lakers would allow was a second-half goal from Abbey Bombard, and otherwise Matteson would record 18 saves. And the Lakers negated that tally by having Hughes and Kirsten Underwood both find the net, while Grace Rajkowski got credit for an assist.
Cazenovia would have its home opener last Wednesday night against Clinton, and take its first blemish, a 2-0 defeat to the Warriors, who got on the board midway through the first half and maintained that lead the rest of the way, adding a goal in the final 15 seconds of regulation.
Matteson had 11 saves, yet Clinton counterpart Kaitlyn Williams matched that mark, getting the help with goals from Sarah Owens and Sydni Dreimiller as Emmeline McPherson got credit for an assist.
But the win over CBA followed, and suddenly the Lakers had serious confidence going into a week where it would take on Homer Tuesday before trips to Skaneateles on Thursday and Phoenix on Saturday.
