CORTLAND – Five years without a Section III championship is a small stretch for most programs, but not the Westhill girls soccer team, who expects excellence at all times.
Trying to do something about that dry spell Friday night at SUNY-Cortland, the top-seeded Warriors proved successful, turning back Central Valley Academy by a score of 2-0 to claim sectional Class B honors.
“I’m so proud of what this team has done,” said senior goalkeeper Kate Bendall.
“We all stayed patient and just pushed through,” said senior attacker Jules Bleskoski, who converted both of her team’s goals in the second half.
CVA, the no. 2 seed, was a team with plenty of strengths, from a diverse attack to a defense that, in three sectional playoff games, had not allowed a goal to Homer, Hannibal or Marcellus – a shutout streak similar to what Westhill had done in the post-season as it entered the title game on a 15-game unbeaten streak.
After an evenly balanced start, Westhill started to push and, in the 13th minute nearly took the lead, a shot beating Thunder goalie Hailey Looman but kicked off the goal line by Bella Klaben.
An all-out attack followed, the Warriors getting plenty of set pieces and runs yet unable to break through against CVA’s defense, who settled in and kept things at 0-0 going to halftime.
For the most part, the Warriors stayed on the front foot in the second half, rarely letting the Thunder organize an attack and waiting for the one opportunity to convert.
“They just kept fighting and knew it (a goal) was going to come,” said head coach Pat Connors.
It came near the midway point of the half, in the 59th minute. Westhill had earned a free kick in the right corner and Hannah Goodness took it, lofting the ball to the middle of the field.
Somehow, it eluded several players on both sides and fell right to the feet of Bleskoski at the left post, and Bleskoski drilled it past Looman to put the Warriors in front.
With more than 20 minutes to protect that advantage, the Warriors got one scare with 15:20 left, Sophia Watkins delivering a free kick from 25 yards out that Bendall had to deflect over the net.
All through the stretch, defenders Mary Kate Rewakowski, Molly Thompson, Olivia Holowinski, Kara Rosenberger, Anna Rosenberger and Avery Starowicz used their skill and physical play to turn back all of the Thunder’s chances.
“(The defense) works together so well,” said Bendall. “If a player gets beat one-on-one, someone else has their back.”
Then Bleskoski returned and, with 2:20 to play, took a well-timed pass from Lily Kinsella and fired a low shot from the left side into the net for the clinching goal.
Westhill will face the Section X champions next Wednesday in the Class B regional semifinals, needing to win here and again in a Nov. 5 regional final in order to advance to the Nov. 12-13 state final four in the Cortland area.
