Both of the varsity soccer teams at Chittenango hosted season-opening tournaments in the last week of August, displaying plenty of production along the way.
In the boys tournament, the opening round Aug. 28 pitted the Bears against Phoenix, and Chittenango roared to a 12-2 victory, taking 21 shots as Anthony Roberts and Sean Larsson each got three-goal hat tricks, Roberts adding an assist.
Artie Paul notched three assists to go with his single goal. David Mullin got two assists, with Mikel Bascual, Owen Bailey, Abraham Alpuerto and Tom McIntosh also finding the net. McIntosh and Alek Reymond also had assists. Goalie Jake Simmons made nine saves.
The championship game Aug. 29 had the Bears facing Oneida, who had topped Tully 3-1. It would go beyond regulation, but Chittenango maintained its poise and prevailed 2-1 over the Indians.
Larsson’s goal in regulation was answered by Oneida, but in the sudden-death OT period, Paul put home the game-winner, as Simmons got five saves this time around.
Meanwhile, in the girls Chittenango Tournament, the order was a bit different, but the first-round results the same as the host Bears hammered Oneida 9-0 and Homer beat Tully 4-2.
Sarah Martin stood out for Chittenango, scoring four times. Ally Shoemaker had two goals and one assist, with Emily Moon getting one goal and two assists. The other goals went to Maryanna Garcia and Ashley Thompson as Cassidy Kelly stopped all seven shots she faced.
In the final against Homer, the Bears would match what its male counterparts accomplished, taking the tournament title by a 2-1 margin, though this one ended in regulation.
Were it not for 17 saves from Trojans goalie Catherine Apker, Chittenango may have scored plenty. Still, Martin notched one goal and assisted on Madison Wagner’s tally, with Moon adding an assist and Kelly making each of her seven saves important.
After both teams rested, OHSL Liberty division schedules got underway last week, with the Chittenango boys going to Homer last Wednesday night and continuing to produce plenty in a 6-2 win over the Trojans.
On the way to 23 shots, the Bears saw Larsson and Roberts each score twice, with Paul getting a goal and two assists. Mullin added a goal and McIntosh picked up an assist.
It was the same for the Chittenango girls Thursday night as it bashed Hannibal 10-0, with Martin and Moon each getting three-goal hat tricks and combining for three assists as Garcia got two goals and two assists. Thompson and Carolyn Myka earned single goals.
While the girls Bears faced Jordan-Elbridge and visit Homer this week, Chittenango’s boys get tested Tuesday night at CBA before hosting Vernon-Verona-Sherrill on Saturday, the first half of a varsity doubleheader where the girls would follow by taking on Cicero-North Syracuse.
