ONONDAGA COUNTY – Not in many years had the Christian Brothers Academy girls soccer team enjoyed a moment similar to what it did Wednesday night in a game against St. Mary’s, from Lancaster in the Buffalo suburbs.
Facing an opponent which sat atop the state Class C rankings, the Brothers played superb defense from start to finish and made an early goal hold up to earn a 1-0 victory.
CBA’s own 7-1 start had put it at no. 6 in the state Class B poll, not that far from Marcellus in the top spot, and the confidence built in the first half of the regular season carried over into this game.
Emma Hill, who had not scored until a hat trick Sept. 21 at Cazenovia, put CBA in front in the early portion of the game, and though it did not convert again the Brothers would protect its slim margin.
Not only was there superb defense from a group led by Allison Boule, Kate Radford, Olivia Jones and Harper Bronstad, but none of St. Mary’s seven direct shots got past Cara Macaluso.
And that defense earned another shutout Thursday night when CBA blanked Westhill by that same 1-0 margin where, again, an early goal held up.
This time it was Francesca Canzano putting CBA in front with an assist to Katherine Williamson. Hanging on required plenty of defensive work as the Brothers surrendered 10 shots, but Macaluso turned all of them back.
Fayetteville-Manlius was humbled at home 4-0 by the same West Genesee side it lost to in Camillus just five days earlier.
The difference here was that the Wildcats didn’t wait to take charge, grabbing an early 1-0 advantage and then pulling clear in the second half behind goals from four different players – Addison Kensey, Kyra Lynch, Maria Snyder and Chelsea Donaldson – which overcame nine saves by Hornets goalie Mackenzie Murphy.
To its credit, the Hornets absorbed this defeat and put up an inspired effort against Cicero-North Syracuse two nights later, leading to a 2-2 draw with the Northstars.
C-NS entered the game having won six in a row, the last three by a combined 27-1 margin as it soared to a no. 14 state Class AAA rankings, five spots ahead of F-M at no. 15.
Here, though, the Northstars couldn’t get away, Even with Aaliyah McDonald and Adrianna Calabria earning goal. F-M kept up because Ashley Seidberg netted a goal in each half – one unassisted, the other assisted by Mara Gloo.
Neither side could settle it in overtime, with Murphy getting nine saves and her C-NS counterparts Kara Dorrance and Natalie LaPoint combining for seven saves.
F-M then lost Saturday to Section V’s Victor, 3-1, the only goal put in by Madison Romicki in the first half. Despite Murphy’s eight saves, the Blue Devils took a 2-1 lead into intermission and then added an insurance goal.
Elsewhere in girls soccer, Manlius Pebble Hill lost 8-0 to state Class C no. 9-ranked Tully last Monday night, with Gloria Flatt getting a three-goal hat trick for the Black Knights.
Bishop Grimes suffered its own shutout defeat two nights later, falling 4-0 to Fabius-Pompey. Bailee Halsey made 14 saves for the Cobras, but the Falcons got away late led by Payton Taylor, who scored twice as Carlena Wallace and McKenna Johnson earned the other goals.
Both played on Friday, and Grimes got back in the win column, topping Pulaski 4-1 with an early surge led by Adrianna Scollo, who scored twice and added an assist. Halsey, getting a turn in the field, had a goal and assist, as did Loyi Mugushu, with Olivia Garland also earning an assist.
MPH nearly made a big comeback against Auburn. Trailing 3-0 at halftime after Marlee Hogan recorded a hat trick for the Maroons, the Trojans got two goals from Elaine Dussing and another from Lilah Temes.
But Hogan’s fourth goal helped Auburn overcome 20 saves from Bailey Stewart and hang on, 4-3, MPH falling to 1-7 on the season.
Grimes won again Saturday over Onondaga/LaFayette 4-0 to improve its mark to 4-5. Scollo scored twice, with the other goals going to Halsey (who added an assist) and Ines Muhorakeye. Tehlia Hosea and Loren Semida also had assists.
