CENTRAL NEW YORK – Still kept from the top of the state Class A rankings by New Hartford, the East Syracuse Minoa girls soccer team was still on track for an undefeated regular season as these two powers stood at 1-2 in the latest state Class A rankings.
For 10 games – 800 total minutes of soccer – no opponent had scored on ESM, a point of pride that the Spartans hoped would last as long as possible.
Finally, though, it happened. During the first half of last Tuesday’s game against Cortland, the Purple Tigers’ Reese Whitney worked through the rain and put a ball past ESM goalie Isabelle Chavoustie.
The shutout streak was over – but ESM still had no problem with Cortland overall, bolting to a 4-1 lead by halftime and eventually prevailing by a 7-1 margin.
Angelina Polcaro put together a hat trick, scoring three times and adding an assist. Leah Rehm matched that point total with two goals and two assists as Natalie Peterson converted twice and assists went to Bailey Rehm and Ashley Praxi.
And another shutout streak commenced Thursday when ESM handled Syracuse City 7-0, with Praxi and Leah Rehm impossible to contain.
Netting four more goals, Rehm worked her season total to 23, while Praxi stepped up with her first three-goal varsity hat trick as Polcaro dished out three assists and Peterson two assists. Alina Krdciz also had an assist.
Christian Brothers Academy played last Monday against Westhill and lost, 3-0, to the Warriors, who got goals from Ashley Bolesh, Lily Kinsella and Jules Bleskoski as Bolesh also earned an assist.
A day later, the Brothers played again and, against a Hannibal side off to a 7-1 start, dominated against this other group of Warriors, breezing to a 4-0 victory.
Katherine Williamson was unstoppable, not only scoring twice for CBA, but assisting on both goals by Maireann Murphy as the Brothers’ defense held Hannibal to just three shots all night.
Bishop Grimes returned to action last Tuesday and, facing Onondaga/LaFayette, took a 2-0 defeat to see its record dip to 2-7-1.
Isabella Mango, netting one goal and assisting on the other by Calisthene Vonderweidt in the first half, managed to put Onondaga/LaFayette in front, and the Cobras could not answer it, held to just four shots in wet, soggy conditions.
Things had dried up by Thursday, and Grimes earned its third win of the season, getting past Pulaski 2-1.
June Hilton and Myla Pankow put in the Cobras’ goals, with Rosalie Vincent and Chloe Spencer earning assists. Pulaski put on constant pressure, but Olivia Bitz turned away 10 of the Blue Devils’ 11 shots.
It got rough on Saturday when Grimes faced state Class D no. 3-ranked Bishop Ludden and lost, 8-1, to the Gaelic Knights, who got two goals apiece from Ashley Pawelczyk and Elizabeth Gaguhan.
Manlius Pebble Hill took a 6-1 defeat to state Class C no. 11-ranked Tully last Tuesday night, a game that was just 1-0 at halftime before the Black Knights pulled away.
Despite Maggie Stokes-Rees’ goal and 15 saves from goaile Mira Fadda-Conrey, Tully had too much on hand, with five different goal-scorers as only Samantha Garback scored twice.
A 5-0 loss to Bishop Ludden followed on Thursday, with Fadda-Conrey getting 14 saves, but the Gaelic Knights controlling matters as Pawelczyk and Faith Griffin netted two goals apiece. MPH also lost Saturday to Fabius-Pompey by a 4-0 margin.
