CORTLAND – Long before it traveled to last weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships, the Westhill girls soccer team had demonstrated its ability to play well in the clutch.
That was true in the Nov. 5 regional final, where the Warriors went through overtime before beating Section VII’s Saranac 3-2.
This was the same Red Storm side that had just upset state no. 1-ranked Schalmont in its previous regional games, and after a scoreless first half did not get rattled when a misplaced ball by its goalie allowed Hannah Goodness to score and give her side a 1-0 lead
Saranac tied it on Sydney Myers’ goal, only to have Goodness return and, off a cross from the left side by Jules Bleskoski, hit a strong left-footed shot while draped by two Red Storm defenders into the net. That made it 2-1, but again Myers converted on a penalty kick, which ultimately led to OT.
So it went to OT at 2-2, but early in the first extra period Bleskoski emerged with an attack down the left side. From an odd angle, Bleskoski put the shot on net – and it slipped off the hands of the Saranac goalie and went in for the game-winner.
Kate Bendall finished with seven saves as the Warriors, winners of 15 in a row, met Section V’s Haverling last Saturday night at Cortland High School in the state semifinals.
And for much of the night, it was shaping up as one of those games where, at the very end, Westhill would pull it out, having kept the undefeated, state no. 1-ranked Rams in check through a scoreless first half and a good portion of the second half, too.
However, with four minutes to play Haverling found itself pushing in the Warriors’ end, and when Westhill was unable to clear it, the Rams’ Lydia Dixon pushed a shot past Bendall.
Though little time remained in regulation, Westhill went all-out trying to tie it, but could not do so, and its 15-game win streak halted two victories short of the ultimate prize as Haverling prevailed 1-0 and advanced to face Irvington in the state final.
This 19-3-1 season might be difficult to replicate next fall, given that the senior class that graduates includes Bendall, Bleskoski, Ashley Bolesh, Lily Kinsell and Liv Holowinski, but a strong group does return led by Goodness, Elle Herrera, Molly Dorfman, Molly Thompson and Mary Kate Rewakowski.
