A whole lot has changed for the Westhill girls soccer team since it brought home a share of the state Class B championship last November.
Twelve seniors graduated, but that wasn’t all. Lisa Eipp, Westhill’s head coach, left to take the position at Onondaga High School, so the school hired Ben Cassalia to replace her, a difficult task even without all the roster turnover.
What challenges the Warriors face proved evident in its first game of 2018, a 2-1 defeat to West Genesee. The Wildcats already had an Aug. 28 win over Utica Proctor in the books and needed just 12 minutes to go in front of Westhill thanks to a goal by Shannon Foster.
When Jackie Vigliotti converted a penalty kick early in the second half, WG led 2-0. Ciarra Rudnick converted to cut the Warriors’ deficit in half, but it could not get any more past Wildcats goalie Liz Croft, who had seven saves. Warriors goalie Lauren Bendall had eight saves.
Another big test for WG appeared to come on Sept. 1 when it hosted Christian Brothers Academy, but the Wildcats handled this one, too, pulling away to blank the Brothers 4-0.
Three of those tallies came in the first half, WG taking charge behind two goals from Mia Sveen as Foster picked up one goal and one assist. Sammie Snyder scored, too, while Vigliotti and Sarah Petrus had one assist apiece.
Westhill didn’t recover right away as, on Sept. 1, it lost, 1-0, to Holland Patent, with Samantha Rachon’s goal enough for the Golden Knights to prevail as Bendall made 14 saves, but HP’s Hayden Roberts stopped all nine shots she faced.
It wasn’t until its third game that Westhill prevailed, 7-0, over Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, with two goals apiece from Erica Gangemi and Sophia Caron as Ashley Bolesh, Brooke Zollo and Kate Vaughan also converted. Ciarra Rudnick and Cassie Dorfman got assists.
For its part, WG made it four wins in a row last Tuesday by turning back Rome Free Academy 2-0. Petrus’ goal in the 16th minute was all the Wildcats needed, but the Black Knights kept it tight until Petrus struck again early in the second half.
Then it won a fifth straight game at Skaneateles Saturday, 4-1, pulling away late thanks to Chrissy Van Allen’s pair of goals. Petrus and Snyder contributed the other goals as Sarah Bailey had the Lakers’ lone goal.
Yet another local team with a high profile, Marcellus, waited for its season opener until last Wednesday night, when its intentions were made quite clear in a 5-1 romp over the Tigers.
Stunned by an early Section III Class B playoff exit in 2017, the Mustangs, accustomed to challenging for championships, went through a vigorous off-season and, at least in its initial outing, proved more potent and dangerous, racing to a 4-1 halftime lead on Mexico.
Anna Vetsch finished with three goals for a hat trick, plus an assist. Emma Hutchings and Sara Mielnicki had the other goals. Kendall Koloski had seven saves, most of them after allowing an early goal by Mexico’s Ariola Adria off a free kick.
It continued Friday for the Mustangs during a 10-0 romp over Hannibal. Vetsch again netted three goals, adding two assists, with Alaura Cushman getting her own hat trick as Mielnicki had two goals and three assists.
Solvay continued its quick start Aug. 30 with a 6-0 blowout over Jordan-Elbridge, which included Taylor Clisson’s three-goal hat trick as Lanaya Willis scored twice. Tory Hryciw had the other goal as Hannah Martineau and Carly Devereaux had two assists apiece.
The Bearcats kept this up last Tuesday by traveling to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and blanking the Rebels 5-0.
Five different Bearcat players got those goals and four of them – Devereaux, Wills, Clisson and Kaya Watts – also earned assists. Isabelle MaCaulay was the other goal scorer as Martineau got an assist, too.
Solvay won again Friday, 3-1, over LaFayette, Clisson continuing to surge as she netted two of the Bearcats’ three goals. Willis also found the net.
Head-to-head last Friday, Bishop Ludden turned away Jordan-Elbridge in another 3-1 decision, led by Olivia Boyea’s pair of goals as Brigid Lawless had the Gaelic Knights’ other tally. Jazzy Stevenson scored for the Eagles
Ludden had opened its season the day before, when it shut out Cato-Meridian 4-0. Two goals in each half proved plenty as Brigid Lawless scored twice, while Amelia Lamendola and Mackenzie Holtsberry notched single goals. Olivia Boyea added an assist.
As that went on, Jordan-Elbridge lost to Chittenango 7-0, the Eagles unable to contain Sarah Martin, who scored four times for the Bears to overcome 35 saves by Sophia Titus. Emily Moon added two goals and one assist.
