While that pursuit of a long-elusive state championship remains the focus, the Jamesville-DeWitt girls soccer team has at least accomplished the rare feat of a perfect 15-0 regular season.
The state Class A no. 2-ranked Red Rams started last week’s action by traveling to Syracuse and prevailing 6-0, not just putting up lots of goals, but spreading it around.
Those six tallies came from six different players – Grace Dimkopoulos, Tonia Kousmanidis, Grace Martin, Megan Baker, Sydney Baker and Denise Yeager. Sydney Balotin joined Dimkopoulos in the assist column.
Oswego arrived at J-D two days later, but it never got close to spoiling the Rams’ unblemished mark as J-D picked up its attack once more and buried the Buccaneers 7-1, doing so without even a point from Dimkopoulos, its leading goal-scorer.
At least, unlike Syracuse, Oswego got on the board early with Sophie Greene’s goal, yet even that came amid the Rams finding the net four times in the first 40 minutes.
Things were still spread out as Kousmanidis, Martin and Megan Baker put up two goals apiece. Balotin also scored as Sydney Baker earned two assists, with single assists going to Quackenbush, Yeager and Lindsey Hildreth.
East Syracuse Minoa, also assured of going to the Class A sectional tournament, could relax as it faced Oswego two days before J-D and blanked the Bucs 3-0.
In order to overcome Aaliyah Maldonado’s 15 saves, the Spartans needed goals from Franchesca Polcaro, Gianna Coccagnia and Katherine Cox, with Polcaro and Hailey Cwikla adding assists.
Back at the .500 mark (7-7), ESM visited Cortland Thursday night, and showed that its defense could shut down a high-quality opponent as the Spartans and Purple Tigers played to a 0-0 draw.
Through 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, Cortland had more opportunities, yet none of its nine shots got past ESM goalie Isabelle Chavoustie. The Spartans could only manage four shots of its own.
ESM would play West Genesee to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, with the Wildcats getting most of the chances, yet unable to push anything past Chavoustie, who finished with 11 saves.
Christian Brothers Academy had a rare easy game last Tuesday against Jordan-Elbridge, blasting the Eagles 8-0 by netting seven goals in the first half alone.
Mari Saya scored twice, adding a pair of assists as Bella Roberson also had two goals. Tatum Kohlbrenner added one goal and assist as Anna Jenkins, Katy Stanard and Claire Nicholson also found the net.
Closing the regular season with back-to-back wins, CBA rode a pair of early goals to an impressive 3-1 win over Chtittenango on Saturday night, reaching the .500 mark at 8-8.
And CBA drew the no. 8 seed in the Section III Class A playoff bracket, so if it beat no. 9 seed Carthage in the first round, it will face J-D in the quarterfinals. ESM, the no. 5 seed, faces no. 4 seed New Hartford in the quarterfinals.
Manlius-Pebble Hill was frustrated again last Tuesday in a 1-0 defeat to Fabius-Pompey. Hannah Warren made five saves, yet the Trojans only took three shots and the Falcons won it with Madi Riedl’s second-half goal.
Then MPH faced LaFayette in back-to-back games, starting on Thursday, where with a well-timed comeback it managed to beat the Lancers 2-1.
The Trojans trailed 1-0 thanks to Charlotte Ryan’s first-half goal, but kept the game from getting away thanks to 12 saves from goalie Hannah Warren.
Then, in the second half, MPH tied it and moved out in front, with Maddie Mafrici and Taylor Germain each earning goals and Katherine Mezzalingua picking up an assist.
In the rematch with LaFayette 24 hours later, the Trojans lost 3-0, torn apart by the Lancers’ Tori Albro, who scored twice and assisted on the other goal, by Celia Bertlesman. Warren finished with eight saves this time around.
Bishop Grimes had faced plenty of struggles in the latter stages of the regular season, which were augmented when it played Fabius-Pompey last Thursday and lost 2-1.
Katherine Murphy’s first-half goal had put the Cobras in front, yet F-P fought back, overcoming Caroline Wilkinson’s 12 saves as Shayna Rapp and Ashley Osborn scored to get the Falcons in front.
Then Grimes ran into South Jefferson on Saturday and lost, 6-0, the Cobras overwhelmed by Spartans forward Macy Schultz, who put in four of her team’s six goals.
Grimes ended up with the 11 seed in the Class C sectional playoffs and plays at no. 6 seed Waterville, just as MPH, the no. 9 seed in Class A, battles no. 8 seed McGraw, the winner to get a quarterfinal with top-seeded, state no. 1-ranked Poland.
