Big rivalries in area high school girls soccer would command early-season attention, especially Tuesday night’s battle between traditional powers Marcellus and Westhill, the only time they would meet in the regular season.
Long before that, Marcellus opened its season Aug. 29 hosting Honeoye Fals-Lima (Section V) and needing overtime to battle to a 2-1 victory over the Cougars.
Emma MacLachlan, off a great feed from Lily Locastro, put the Mustangs up 1-0 in the first half. HF-L tied it midway through the second half and it stayed that way until two minutes into the first OT, where Sara Mielnicki got open on a breakaway and calmly put home the goal that proved the game-winner.
By contrast, Westhill lost its opener to defending sectional Class B champion Holland Patent 2-1 on Aug. 31. Stephanie Falcone’s goal, assisted by Erica Gangemi, was negated when Alexis Johnson and Samantha Rachon scored for the Golden Knights. Lauren Bendall finished with nine saves.
Both sides had impressive shutouts last Tuesday night, with Marcellus going to Alibrandi Stadium to blank Christian Brothers Academy 3-0 as Westhill handled Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 10-0.
In the Mustangs’ case, a first-half goal by Mielnicki, assisted by Mei LaMarre, was all that was needed against CBA, but Macie Szalach converted on a penalty kick in the second half and Sarah Fallon converted, too, augmenting the 10 saves recorded by goalie Ellie Shaw.
As for Westhill, it broke out against APW by having Sophia Caron and Mia Herrera each score twice, while Ashley Bolesh, Ciarra Rudnick and Hannah Thayer each got one goal and one assist. Gangemi, Olivia Bolesh and Maya Wollen also found the net as Lauren Holstein and Emma Gorman added assists.
West Genesee got the most difficult opening assignment possible, meeting Class A powerhouse Jamesville-DeWitt on Aug. 30, and getting on the board – but still falling 5-1 to the Red Rams.
Emily Dunning’s goal, assisted by Chrissy Van Allen, kept J-D from a shutout, but otherwise the Rams proved too potent, Tonia Kousmanidis leading the way with two goals as Meg Baker got one goal and one assist.
A 2-0 defeat to New Hartford followed last Tuesday night, the game scoreless in regulation until the Spartans’ Erin Rayhill scored midway through the first OT period and Willa Pratt adding a tally in the last minute of the second OT.
But WG would prevail 3-0 at Christian Brothers Academy Thursday night, the three Wildcats goals coming from three different players – Dunning, Van Allen and Giovanna Vigliotti. Dunning also had an assist as Caitlin Mills recorded five saves.
And all this led to WG making the short trip to Westhill Saturday afternoon. It turned into a thrilling battle, extending into overtime and unresolved as the Wildcats and Warriors played to a 2-2 draw.
Sara Petrus and Sam Snyder found the net for WG, and applied constant pressure at other points in the match. It took 19 saves from Bendall to keep Westhill in it as Caron netted one goal and assisted on the other, by Gangemi. Rudnick assisted on Caron’s tally.
Not to be forgotten in this local realm, Skaneateles had an impressive season-opening effort of its own at APW last Thursday, the Lakers handling the Rebels 7-1.
Tatumn Pas’cal paced Skaneateles with two goals and one assist, with Maeve McNeil also scoring twice. Single goals went to Grace Dower, Graeson Landsberg and Makenzie Miller as Maddy Ramsgard added an assist.
Solvay began at the Phoenix Tournament on Labor Day weekend where it lost, 2-1, to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown despite Haley Muehl’s goal, and then had a 3-0 defeat to Phoenix.
Extremes were found in two of last Tuesday’s season openers, whether it was Bishop Ludden dropping a 3-2 decision to LaFayette or Jordan-Elbridge overwhelmed in a 17-0 defeat to Cazenovia.
Yet on Thursday, when Ludden lost, 5-0, to Pulaski, J-E turned it around to beat Cato-Meridian 7-5 in the first round of the Port Byron/Union Springs Tournament.
Avery Bard earned three goals for a hat trick, while Riley Crawford got two goals and one assist. Jazzy Stevenson had one goal and one assist and Haley Phelps contributed a goal.