CENTRAL NEW YORK – Situated at no. 9 in last week’s state Class A rankings, the Westhill girls soccer team knows that its lofty perch won’t matter much if one bad performance takes place in the Section III playoffs.
It helps, too, that New Hartford is the defending sectional and state champions, inheriting all of the pressure that goes with it as the Warriors join local contenders in the post-season.
Tuning up last Tuesday night against a tough-minded opponent in Class A’s Watertown, the Warriors battled its way to a 2-0 victory over the Cyclones.
Again, the production was spread around, Elle Herrera and Schuyler Auringer earning the goals as stars Hanna Goodness and Kara Rosenberger each got an assist. Westhil controlled the ball most of the night, limiting Watertown to two shots and forcing Cyclones goalie Ava Beebe to make 14 saves.
This carried over for Westhill into Thursday night’s game against Chittenango, with the Warriors, in a possible playoff preview, able to defeat the Bears 4-1.
Those four goals came from four different players. Rosenberger and Herrera each scored once and added an assist, with Goodness and Sierra Jetter also finding the net and Delaney Goode gaining an assist. Abby Horning had Chittenango’s lone goal.
About the only thing Westhill didn’t manage to accomplish was going the entire regular season without getting shut out, something that Liverpool managed to pull off Saturday in a 1-0 clash of Warrior sides.
Liverpool’s defense was exceptional, stifling the Westhill attack. Grace Sleeth stopped all six shots she faced, and when a second-half ball was hit by a Westhill hand inside the 18-yard box, Alexa Marsha converted the penalty kick – and Liverpool held on.
Skaneateles earned another high-quality win last Tuesday night, holding off Christian Brothers Academy 1-0 and, by doing so, moving its overall record to 9-4-1.
Good as this was, it dissipated by Thursday night, Skaneateles falling to Cazenovia by that same 1-0 margin, the difference a goal by Raeanne Thompson assisted by Ava Vanetti.
That went against the general flow of play, Cazenovia managing just five shots but surrendering nearly three times as many. Still, none of the 14 shots Skaneateles took got past Skye Stanford.
A day later, Skaneateles defeated Hannibal/Cato-Meridian 4-2, with goals from Paige Willard, Bella Pietropaoli, Isabella Arroyo and Margaret Girzadas. Reese Gaidis picked up an assist.
Marcellus got a chance to pile up goals last Tuesday against Hannibal/Cato-Meridian, prevailing 8-0 and getting another giant performance from Cece Powell.
All that Powell did was earn a career-best total of five goals, with single goals going to Jadyn Baker, Claire Card and Marielle Kennedy. Baker also had two assists, with Janie Powell, Alie Kaup and Lexie Fragnito also earning assists.
Then Marcellus also lost Thursday night, a 2-0 decision to the same CBA side that Skaneateles had just beat. None of the Mustangs’ 11 shots got past Brothers goalie Cara Macaluso as Ciarra Duggan and Olivia Jones put in the decisive goals.
Looking to finish the regular season 13-3, Marcellus visited Homer on Saturday and got back on track, blanking the Trojans 2-0.
A goal in each half proved enough, with Kaup and Janie Powell managing to convert amid constant pressure from the Mustangs. Homer goalie Alex Kellaway was exceptional, recording 14 saves.
When the sectional Class B bracket was released, Marcellus had the no. 2 seed ad Skaneateles the no. 3 seed. So they could meet in the semifinals if they win two playoff games at home, the Mustangs starting with no. 15 seed Sherburne-Earlville and the Lakers against no. 14 seed Faith Heritage, both of those games on Tuesday night.
Westhill, meanwhile, snared the top seed in Class A, relegating New Hartford to the no. 2 seed. With a bye, the Warriors will, in Thursday night’s quarterfinal, face no. 8 seed Cortland or no. 9 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.
