With its 6-0 start, the Bishop Grimes girls soccer team gained plenty of attention as, when the first state rankings were released last, the Cobras were no. 2 in Class C, behind only Stillwater.
Grimes remained undefeated with last Tuesday’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Fabius-Pompey Rhonee Shea Pal’s first-half goal held up as Grimes had to absorb plenty of runs from the Falcons, but turned them all away. Caroline Wilkinson stopped all nine shots she faced.
Looking for eight in a row at LaFayette on Friday, the Cobras finally had a letdown, its defense torn up throughout a 4-2 defeat to the Lancers.
By the time Julia Gnade scored in the second half and assisted on goal by Shea Pal, Grimes found itself catching up, having seen LaFayette gain a 2-0 edge by halftime.
Then the Lancers answered the Cobras as it overcame Wilkinson’s 10 saves. Leanna Crouse led LaFayette with two goals as Charlotte Ryan added a goal and two assists.
Jamesville-DeWitt found itself at no. 2 in the state Class A rankings and, on Thursday, completed a regular-season sweep of East Syracuse Minoa, roaring past the Spartans 5-0.
Not only was the Red Rams’ attack steady, it was balanced. Five different J-D players scored, with Grace Thomas, Megan Baker, Hayley Quackenbush, Grace Dimkopoulos and Tonia Kousmanidis finding the net as Thomas and Ava Brazie added assists.
When ESM took on Cortland last Tuesday, it contained things for the most part, but Tori Cruz helped push the Purple Tigers past the Spartans 2-1.
Gianna Coccagnia had scored in the first half, assisted by Franchesca Polcaro, answering Cruz’s early goal. Then it stayed 1-1 for a while until late in regulation, when Cruz executed the perfect bend on a direct corner kick.
It was the same thing J-D’s Hayley Quackenbush had done against ESM earlier this season, but here it hurt more because it denied the Spartans a chance to end Cortland’s five-game win streak.
In its next outing on Saturday at Oswego, J-D routed the Buccaneers 8-1, Dimkopoulos earning a hat trick as Kousmanidis, Sydney Tanner, Mia Antonucci, Denise Yaeger and Mona Osman also scored. Quackenbush got two assists, with single assists going to Grace bridge and Lindsey Hildreth.
ESM lost a 2-0 decision to Cicero-North Syracuse in non-league action on Saturday, with Alana Day and Isabelle Chavoustie combining for eight saves, but seeing Marissa Bukowski score once in each half to lead the Northstars.
Christian Brothers Academy had proven that it could make top-quality opponents worry. Such was the case again last Monday night where the Brothers pushed state Class B no. 2-ranked Marcellus to overtime and lost a 1-0 decision.
As with Westhill on Sept. 11, CBA made the Mustangs nervous. All through the 80 minutes of regulation, the Brothers’ defense positioned itself well, only to see its attack flounder every time it got close.
Abby Benware nearly salvaged the night, though, stopping Anna Vetsch point-blank with 2:45 left in regulation and twice more robbing Vetsch of goals, including a penalty kick late in the first OT period.
By then, though, the Mustangs had the goal it needed. Caroline Trytek took a short corner kick two minutes into the extra period and, off a give-and-go, got the ball back, fed it to the middle and saw Sara Mielnicki beat Benware for the game-winner.
CBA’s best opportunity to get even came during that first OT when, earning a free kick moments after Benware’s stop on the penalty, Katy Stanard sent a screaming attempt off the crossbar.
Two nights later, CBA got back in the win column at Solvay, blanking the Bearcats 3-0 as Mari Saya scored twice and Tatum Kohlbrenner also got a goal. Cristina Barnaba added an assist as Benware stopped all 13 shots she faced.
Manlius-Pebble Hill was 1-5 going into the week but broke out of that slump last Monday, getting past Pulaski 3-1 as all of the goals were scored in the first half.
Katherine Mezzalingua, by herself, burned the Blue Devils, scoring twice and assisting on Maddie Mafrici’s tally. Krysta Glazier scored for Pulaski, but the Trojans held the Blue Devils to just four shots all afternoon.
Then MPH blanked Cato-Meridian 1-0 on Thursday, pulling it out with Mafrici netting the game’s lone goal in the second half. Again, the defense stood out, Hannah Warren only having to make three saves.
