SYRACUSE – Even with the immense satisfaction gained from a long-awaited Section III championship, the East Syracuse Minoa girls soccer team wanted more – namely, a state championship.
Getting it, though, required the undefeated Spartans to beat an undefeated Section II champion from Columbia in Saturday’s Class AA regional final at Nottingham High School.
And the Blue Devils would prove too elusive, taking advantage of the rare mistakes ESM would make on two important occasions to prevail 3-1 and bring an end to the Spartans’ magical run.
Columbia had gone through this before, beating West Genesee in this same regional round on this same Nottingham turf in 2023, and it quickly established its game in the early stages, constantly putting pressure on ESM’s defense.
For the most part the Spartans turned it back, but in the 18th minute a throw-in from the right side by the Blue Devils fell out of the grasp of goalkeeper Julianna Orcutt and Megan Baumeister tapped it past her into the net.
Mere seconds later, it was 1-1, the Spartans responding well as Bailey Rehm’s long pass found a streaking Leah Rehm and the senior fired home a hard shot for her 57th goal of the season and 164th of her career.
From that point on and for the rest of the afternoon, though, Leah Rehm found herself mostly in traffic, unable to shake the persistent pressure from a string of Columbia defenders who never seemed to tire.
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils’ pressure picked up again in the second half, leading to a run in the 54th minute capped when Leah Vitale parked a shot out of Orcutt’s reach into the top of the net.
Unlike in the first half there wasn’t an immediate ESM answer, and midway through the half Orcutt again found herself pressured as she tried to handle the ball and when it slipped out, Stella Seibert put in an insurance goal.
Columbia finished it off from there, and ESM had to ponder both the conclusion of a 17-1-2 campaign and, even more so, what happens next after Leah Rehm graduates with seniors like Leah Chavoustie, Ashley Praxl and Morgan Palmer.
Perhaps the only consolation is that so many good players are back in 2025, from Orcutt, Bailey Rehm and Ava Burry to Ayzlei Winans, Sophia Brooks and Khloe Welch, which should allow the Spartans to at least contend again and, perhaps, make another title run.
