CENTRAL NEW YORK – For much of September, the Marcellus girls soccer team figured to have an edge on its long-time rivals from Skaneateles, who stumbled out to a 2-3 start.
Now, though, it’s the Lakers who seem to have the edge, having gained a signature win last Monday night when it edged the state Class B no. 9-ranked Mustangs in a 1-0 decision.
On a five-game unbeaten streak where it had gone 4-0-1, Skaneateles played Marcellus to a first-half scoreless deadlock, even with the ball in its end most of the time and its defense having to work hard to maintain the shutout.
But with Mara Stanton recording eight saves, the Lakers had a formidable presence in the net, and when junior Keating Morrissey converted in the second half off a feed from Isabella Arroyo, Skaneateles went in front for good.
Now the Lakers rested before a tough final week of the regular season where it hosts CBA and Hannibal/Cato-Meridian, with a trip to Cazenovia in between.
Marcellus, on the other hand, went to Phoenix, taking part in the Firebirds’ annual “Pink Out” game to promote breast cancer awareness, with all of the game’s proceeds (estimated to be at least $1,200) to go to the Baldwin fund.
The game was entertaining, too, with the Mustangs prevailing 5-2 led by the duo of Cece Powell and Claire Card, each of whom finished with two goals and one assist. Drew Johnson chimed in with one goal and one assist as Paige Pinkley and Danielle Sussey had the Firebirds’ goals.
Just like Skaneateles, Marcellus has three games this week, against Hannibal/Cato-Meridian, CBA and Homer, before finding out its Section III Class B playoff seeding.
Westhill was no. 9 in the state Class A rankings with its 9-1-1 mark when it hosted Cortland last Tuesday night and, led by Hannah Goodness and Elle Herrera, put together a 3-0 shutout of the Purple Tigers.
Both of Herrera’s goals were set up by assists from Goodness, who put in the other tally. Defensively, Westhill held Cortland to three shots and set itself in the Purple Tigers’ end, only denied more by Lauren Mott’s 10 saves.
Then Westhill went to Mexico Thursday night, and it proved quite an exciting contest, the Warriors nearly squandering a massive lead before regrouping late to beat the Tigers 6-3.
With a steady and productive attack, Westhill built a 4-0 advantage, only to see Mexico change the game’s trajectory with three goals in a span of five minutes as Allie Poissant scored twice and Kylee Urqhart also converted.
Yet the Warriors answered with two tallies in the final 10 minutes, restoring most of the margin as Kara Rosenberger finished with a pair of goals. Herrera, Goodness, Mary Kate Rewakowski and Delaney Goode also found the net as Molly Dorfman joined Goodness in the assist column.
After its last regular-season home game next Tuesday against Watertown, Westhill will make a Thursday trip to Chittenango and a Saturday visit to Liverpool in advance of its sectional Class A playoff debut.
