More than two decades ago, the local large-school girls rivalry involved East Syracuse Minoa and Fayetteville-Manlius, at least when the two were in the same class and vying for championships.
So perhaps it figured that the Spartans, in search of a signature victory for its program, got it at the Hornets’ expense Wednesday night, a 1-0 victory which had plenty of standouts on ESM’s side.
It helped, no doubt, that the Spartans were rested and F-M had gone through a tough game at Baldwinsville two days earlier (where it won 2-0), but few imagined that Lina Polcaro’s breakaway goal five minutes into the game off a terrific feed from eighth-grader Leah Rehm would hold up.
Indeed, F-M had copious chances, especially in the first half. Twice in the first 25 minutes, what looked like tying goals were somehow tipped away by spectacular dives from Spartans goalkeeper Isabelle Chavoustie.
“We would not have won the game without those saves,” said ESM head coach Jaime Vollmer.
Chavoustie didn’t work alone, as defenders Abby Hudgins and Katie Cox took turns shadowing F-M’s potent front-line duo of Lauren Clark and Morgan Goodman, never allowing them much space.
Vollmer had high praise, too, for midfielders Natalie Peterson, Jazziel Meikleham and Jenna Hudgins, who matched skills with the Hornets and never allowed the game to get too lopsided, in terms of possession.
This was ESM’s fourth consecutive shutout. It was 2-0 going into last Monday’s game against Liverpool, where it went into overtime before the Spartans broke through and got on the board to beat the Warriors 1-0.
This was a back-and-forth contest in terms of opportunities. Each side could not convert in the 80 minutes of regulation, nor in the first of two 10-minute OT periods.
Chavoustie had nine saves, as did Liverpool counterpart Maggie Tifft, but in the second OT one more Spartans attack proved successful, Jenna Hudgins taking a pass from Abby Hudgins and edging the ball past Tifft.
ESM will challenge Jamesville-DeWitt this week after the Red Rams roared back to form last Saturday in a 4-0 win over its neighbors from Christian Brothers Academy.
More than anything else, Megan Baker helped the Red Rams smother the Brothers, earning three goals for a hat trick, twice off feeds from Rori Leach, who got the other goal as Lindsey Hildreth also had an assist.
CBA had only played once prior to last Tuesday’s game with perennial power Westhill, and a slow start doomed the Brothers in a 3-1 defeat.
The Warriors bolted out 2-0 by halftime, so even Kennedy Paciaga’s second-half goal wasn’t enough. Sophia Caron scored twice for Westhill to overcome seven saves by CBA goalies Emma Piraino and Emily Jones.
Manlius-Pebble Hill entered the win column last Tuesday, edging LaFayette 1-0 as Madelyn Huff engineered the game’s only goal, assisted by Sergianni Jennings.
Mira Fadda-Conrey’s The Trojans defense that shut off whatever the Lancers tried as Mira Fadda-Coney had to make just three saves.
Bishop Grimes took a 2-0 defeat to Cazenovia last Tuesday. Cobras goalies Natalie Musolino and Saba Famasa combined for 22 saves, only allowing goals by the Lakers’ Lili Gavitt and Caitlyn Smithers as Ava Gavitt assisted on both of them. A 3-0 loss to Chittenango followed two days later.
