ONONDAGA COUNTY – Long before it even kicked a ball in the 2024 season, the Marcellus girls soccer team picked up a special honor.
Laurie Updike, the Mustangs’ coach since 1999 and a part of 11 sectional, eight regional and two state Class B championship teams while winning more than 400 games, learned she would be inducted into the New York State High School Girls Soccer Hall of Fame.
It’s happening as Marcellus takes part in Hall of Fame Tournament festivities in Niskayuna, with games against Lancaster and Washingtonville the main focus of the players even as Updike is honored with her fellow Class of 2024 members.
And it all followed quite an impressive season-opening performance Wednesday night against one of the Mustangs’ biggest rivals, Westhill, a 6-0 decision that indicated just what Marcellus could do this fall.
With junior forward Cece Powell returning after a sophomore campaign where she netted 30 goals, it was obvious where Westhill wanted to put its defensive attention. All this meant, though, was that other Mustangs players stepped up early.
This included Corrine Aldrich, who took a perfect centering pass from Allie Kaup and put it past Sophia Lasher just 6:12 into the game. Aldrich returned in the 18th minute with a well-placed corner kick that Lexie Fragnito headed home.
When Fragnito converted again 2:11 before halftime to make it 3-0, it didn’t discourage Westhill, who put on heavy pressure early in the second half and twice, within a span of a minute, got close to goals as Molly Dorfman’s shot crashed off the crossbar and Tenly Baker made a diving stop on a Schuyler Auringer attempt.
Moments later, Powell burst free on the right side and put in her first goal of the season. A mere 28 seconds later from nearly that same spot, Powell netted a second goal, with the Mustangs tacking on a late tally from Neve Murphy as Aldrich added a second assist and Marielle Kennedy earned an assist.
Perhaps lost in all this was the fact that West Genesee is the defending sectional Class AA champions, returning plenty of talented players from a side that went 15-2-2 a season ago.
And the Wildcats got off to a strong start last Thursday with a tough 1-0 win over Jamesville-DeWitt, putting constant pressure on the Red Rams throughout the evening.
Finally, a breakthrough came in the second half thanks to Chelsea Donaldson’s goal, the only one that got past J-D netminder Lindsay Parker, who earned 11 saves.
