ONONDAGA COUNTY – Early in Tuesday’s boys soccer match between Westhill and Christian Brothers Academy at Alibrandi Stadium, the Brothers netted a goal.
Any goal in soccer can be a big deal, or even decisive. What this did, though, was a landmark because it was the very first goal the state Class A no. 3-ranked Warriors allowed all season.
Two more followed, and Westhill lost, 3-0, to the Brothers, who had learned plenty from the 0-0 draw it took with the Warriors back on Sept. 22.
All the pressure that CBA may have felt dissipated when it scored early and broke the shutout streak. Then it kept adding to that margin while its defense turned everything away, Ryan Petrie making nine saves.
Overcoming Westhill netminder Charlie DeMore’s seven saves, Connor Morgia converted twice, the other goal going to Zach Walma as Juliuz Pichardo-Kemp earned two assists and Nick Genovese added an assist.
Perhaps what happened here carried over into a long portion of Thursday’s game against Chittenango, with Westhill having to work for a while before putting away the Bears 2-0.
They were still scoreless when, in the second half, the Warriors twice found the net, the goals going to Max Cowin and Eric Holstein as Tim Cowin and Benji McPeak earned assists and the defense held Chittenango to a single direct shot on the net.
A year ago, West Genesee made an inspired run through the Section III Class AA playoffs, stunning top seed Fayetteville-Manlius and getting within an overtime of getting the title from Cicero-North Syracuse.
Of course, the Northstars are in the newly-formed Class AAA, but the Wildcats are still in AA, as is F-M (who has struggled plenty), the two of them looking up at the likes of state-ranked favorites CBA and Nottingham.
Among other things, WG was glad that it didn’t have to face Liverpool or Baldwinsville now. Those AAA sides all managed to beat the Wildcats in a span of less than week, each of them 1-0 decisions.
The Warriors pulled it off twice on Oct. 5 and 7 before it was the state no. 5-ranked Bees turn. Unlike those Liverpool games, though, Will Stevens got his decisive goal early, a first-half tally assisted by Ryan Bullis.
Even as the Wildcats’ defense clamped down and Boston Crandall finished with 10 saves, WG’s lack of a consistent attack would lead to frustration and defeat.
Two nights later, WG again was kept off the board by a Class AAA side, only this time it was Cicero-North Syracuse, who won 2-0 by having Jackson Petzoldt score twice in the second half. None of the Wildcats’ seven shots got past Nico Servider.
In the Class AA sectional playoffs, WG has the no. 5 seed and will visit no. 4 seed Central Square in Thursday night’s quarterfinals, while Westhill, as the top seed in Class A, plays Friday in the quarterfinals against the winner of Tuesday’s game between no. 8 seed Whitesboro and no. 9 seed Chittenango.
