CHITTENANGO – All the sides that gathered Wednesday at Chittenango High School for the girls soccer Section III Class B semifinals understood that it would take plenty of toughness and poise to make it to Friday night’s championship game.
And they all displayed those character traits, though it was Westhill that made it through while Skaneateles and Marcellus both saw their seasons conclude.
It was the top-seeded Warriors against the no. 4 seed and defending sectional champion Lakers in the first semifinal, and an early goal held up the entire way for Westhill as it held on to claim a 1-0 decision.
These sides had split their regular-season meetings, but Westhill had the benefit of a considerable breeze at its back in the first half. Knowing this, it controlled the flow of play and forced Skaneateles into a defensive mode.
In the 13th minute, a nice cross from the left corner by Jules Bleskoski found Lily Kinsella, whose low shot from the point found the net. It would prove to be the game’s only goal.
Not until late in the half did the Lakers start to put together any sort of attack, but once it gained the wind advantage for the second half, Skaneateles went all-out, putting heavy pressure on the Warriors’ back line.
Most of the time, it was defenders like Mary Kate Rewakowski, Liv Holowinski, Molly Thompson and Maggie Lubel getting in the way and deflecting passes and shot attempts.
However, the early pressure also forced goalie Kate Bendall to make a series of key stops, none better than the diving save she made on Paige Willard’s point-blank attempt near the midway point of the half. Though more than 20 minutes remained, the Lakers never got as close again.
Now Westhill settled in to see who it would face in the sectional final, quite aware that Marcellus, the no. 11 seed, had already won two playoff road games, at no. 6 seed Cazenovia and no. 3 seed Lowville, and would not flinch at the sight of CVA, who held the no. 2 seed.
Indeed, through the entire first half and a good portion of the second half, the Mustangs’ defense was superb, limiting the Thunder’s chances as goalie JoJo Leubner was on her way to recording eight saves.
Marcellus had plenty of its own opportunities, too, yet kept getting turned back as all 13 of its shots were grabbed by CVA netminder Hailey Looman.
With 15 minutes left in regulation, the Thunder pushed and, off a fine cross from Izabella Terzioski, Sophia Watkins directed a header past Leubner. Now with the lead, CVA didn’t sit back, ultimately clinching the game on Bella Klaben’s late goal, assisted by Mallory Mower.
Marcellus finished its season at 9-6-3, having recovered from an uneven start to win six of seven games before its playoff ouster. Just five seniors graduate, including Leubner and Ava Aupperle, but return most of its starters for 2023.
