Stories and photo galleries by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
DANSVILLE — The top-seeded Lady Eagles of Fillmore had their hands full on Wednesday.
One more obstacle obstructed their lane of travel towards another trip back to the Class D Finals — that being a No. 5 Keshequa Lady Wildcats team that has ignited a blaze of victory as of late, rattling off seven straight wins to earn their date with the reigning State Finalists.
Between the two foes, just a single goal was accounted for in a Semifinal contest that saw only nine shots combined come to total fruition. In short: the Lady Wildcats and Lady Eagles were neck-and-neck across the board on defense.
Soccer is known as a game of opportunity, and whenever one is granted, you have to take it and run away with it as fast as you can. For one team, that came almost immediately out of the starting gates at the Corral in Dansville.
Ava Thayer did Keshequa justice, as the Lady Wildcats followed her lead off a massive Fillmore turnover that turned into a big offensive rush back the other way into the Lady Eagles zone. After receiving a cross to the front of the goal, Thayer wasted no time striking while the iron was hot to claim a 1-0 victory to end the Lady Eagles’ season.
“Their goal came off a quick turnover near the 40 and then a cross that we had a few chances to clean up on, finally reached her to score it. It wasn’t meant to be tonight unfortunately,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “It’s the hardest part about soccer, today the game didn’t give us the benefit of the doubt. Overall, I thought we were excellent defensively, with Ryleigh (Goodliff) marking up on a 30-goal scorer, and Mattie (McCumiskey) providing outstanding service at sweeper.”
Thayer’s goal came just one minute removed from the second half clock to open the scoring for the Lady Wildcats with a 1-0 lead they never relinquished from that time forward, all while limiting the Lady Eagles defense to set up shop and provide a response of their own in return.
Between both teams, just nine total shots were registered on goal, with Keshequa going on to claim a 6-3 advantage. In net, the shutout was issued to Lilliana Hugi, who had all three stops to score the biggest shutout of her season.
As for the Lady Eagles, they were fronted by Grace Clark in goal, as she made five saves out of six faced.
“We had three really good chances and obviously, we didn’t capitalize on one of them. Early in the game, we had one of the doorstep but we couldn’t get it across,” said Beardsley. “We expected we would have to be a bit more defensive and we were, but it also took us out on any offensive flow. It was one of those games where we never completely figured things out, and that’s on me.”
That will put a wrap on Fillmore’s incredible campaign on the pitch, as they finish up with a record of 17-2 overall.
The Lady Eagles will part with five seniors when the school year closes up in June, in Clark, Ryleigh Goodliff, Julia Beardsley, Montana Gayford and Summer Friedl — a core that Beardsley says, “they never once made this experience about themselves. It was always the team first, and they were a key reason we had the success that we did last year.”
Beardsley says his girls have more than plenty to be thankful for at the end of the day.
“They gave a huge effort and have so much to be proud of,” he said. “No. 1 seed, 17-2, County Champions and a group that overcame nine starters graduating last year? I think that is a lot to be thankful for and proud for. They hurt a lot after tonight, as did their coach. We all say it: “It’s the best part of our day being together.”. We love each other and never want it to end. In reality, it never really does and that is one of the reasons Fillmore soccer is special year in and year out.”
Tuesday Sectionals: Florida commit Gray, Byron-Bergen dominate in C2 Semis with powerful 1st half to end GV/Belfast’s season; Naples ignites 2nd half comeback to eliminate Fillmore boys in D Semis
PERRY — The Byron-Bergen Lady Bees.
They are as good as they come, having acquired an impeccable resume that consists of three straight Section V titles, with a fourth potentially waiting in the wings, led by one of Section V’s best on the pitch — Mia Gray, a Division I commit to the University of Florida who sits near the top of the Section with 31 goals entering Tuesday night.
The Lady Bees have captured the No. 2 seed in the Class C2 bracket behind an absolutely remarkable performance on defense all season long, allowing just five goals. For No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast and their first trek through their new classification, it was a hurdle they must ascend over top of in order to make a second trip to the Finals in four years.
They were now embedded in a fight for their lives, in what was the game of games.
Genesee Valley/Belfast nearly capitalized right off the bat off a brilliant opportunity in the first couple of minutes of play, but from that point on, the tide turned into a game-changing tsunami.
The Lady Bees swarmed. And they began to sting quickly.
Across the first 40 minutes of play, the three-peat champions took charge and immediately set the tone for their No. 3-seeded opposition, assembling an overwhelming presence on offense that accounted for four massive markers, adding two more in the second half to finish off a clamorous offensive performance, led by a three-goal night from Gray, and end Genesee Valley/Belfast’s remarkable 2024 campaign with a 6-1 victory in the Class C2 Semifinal round in Perry.
“This was by far, the best team we have competed against all season, but I just want to say that our girls did not quit,” said GV/Belfast co-coach Lisa Scott Schneider. “We battled hard in the second half and even got a marker against this incredible Byron-Bergen team. I’m proud of their resilience to make that happen. This has been an amazing season for this team, and our seniors should be very proud of what they brought to this program. 30-6-2 the last two seasons, and there aren’t many programs that can match that.”
Following a potential ice-breaking opportunity for Genesee Valley/Belfast to strike while the iron was hot in the first sequences of battle, the Lady Bees shifted the momentum back down the field and maintained the entirety of it with two dynamic scores from long range — one from the leg of Elizabeth Starowitz to start the scoring nearly five minutes in on a shot to the top right corner from the middle of the cage, and the next on a perfectly placed 20-yard seed by Gray that sailed straight over top of Genesee Valley/Belfast keeper Morgan Yackeren and into the back of the net.
The momentum continued to ride with Byron-Bergen every passing minute towards the end of the first half, when they added two more goals in the last 14 minutes. First in the sequence was Gray, who netted her second on a follow-up attempt that saw her original shot ricochet off a Genesee Valley/Belfast barrier in front of her direct kick chance, being granted the second attempt moments later for a shot that lasered straight to the near side for a 3-0 Lady Bees lead.
The next goal was put away by Riley Shallenberger with four minutes left to take a 4-0 advantage into the break.
In the second half, Genesee Valley/Belfast was granted another phenomenal look in front of the Byron-Bergen cage, with Tallman leading the first rush into the offensive zone, easing past a pair of Lady Bee defenders for a curling shot on goal that keeper Rylee Burch leaped up to meet with her mitts to force away from any further and imminent danger.
What momentum that the No. 3 seeds had built off the opportunity, it was taken away at the drop of a hat by the Lady Bees with their fifth strike of the game, seeing a shot from Janessa Amesbury being directed towards the far post from the middle of the Genesee Valley/Belfast box, just past the 10-minute threshold.
The scoring for Byron-Bergen would conclude at the midway mark with Gray’s third goal of the game, connecting with a pass fed along by Amesbury.
The shutout bid put on by the Lady Bees would not last much longer, as Hannah Southwick-Powers collected Genesee Valley/Belfast’s final goal of their season off a long carry from midfield, bifurcating a pair of defenders on her way in on the break before beating out a charging Burch from the Lady Bees net to knock the ball into the empty net with 10:33 left to play.
The goal from Southwick-Powers was just one of two total shots the No. 3 seeds applied against Byron-Bergen, as the Lady Bees went on to collect a 21-2 advantage in that respective department to close out the night.
In net for Genesee Valley/Belfast, Morgan Yackeren went on to make 15 saves.
The 2024 campaign is now over for Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they wrap up with a record of 16-2-1 overall. The team will graduate nine seniors at the end of the school year, in Southwick-Powers, Yackeren, Sophie Zillgitt, Jenna Hill, Danika Scott, Ava Aronson, Kate Calanni, Charisma Metatos and Allyson Hazelton.
Scott-Schneider extended her best wishes to a senior group that provided so much to their program during their time, saying “Charisma, Jenna, Sophie, Morgan, Hannah, Ava, Danika, Allyson, Kate. I just want to thank them all so much for being great student-athletes and role models for these younger players on the team. Their dedication to this program over the years is certainly unmatched. It truly has been a pleasure working with them and coaching them all.”
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BOYS SOCCER
Class D Semifinals
No. 2 Naples 2, No. 6 Fillmore 1
GENESEO — After two rounds of competitive action, the Class D boys soccer bracket saw the stars align for a rematch of last year’s Championship Game for the ages between Fillmore and Naples, this time seeing just one of the teams punch their return back to that big dance once again on Tuesday.
In Geneseo, the sixth-seeded Eagles and No. 2 Big Green went to war again in another battle that ultimately came down to the wire. It would feature a lengthy command of the driver’s seat by Fillmore that would extend across the first half and into a vast portion of time in the second half, as the defending Class D Champions kept the Finger Lakes powerhouse on their tippy toes with a one-goal advantage.
But in the game of soccer, no lead is ever safe.
With the Big Green applying every bit of pressure in the world to try and tilt the momentum in their favor, enough of it eventually witnessed a momentous breakthrough.
The response they provided — double the trouble.
With 20 minutes left to play, Naples flipped the script on Fillmore at an instant, taking a 1-0 game-long deficit and turning it into an incredible 25-second shapeshifting season-saving moment, as they went on to score the game-tying and go-ahead goals in a rapid succession to take the game over themselves.
As a result, they went on to hold onto their first lead of the game, never letting go of it to punch their return ticket back to the Class D Finals by knocking off the team that defeated them in overtime for the title last year in Avon — a 2-1 victory of redeeming quality over the Eagles.
“Our season came to a tough close tonight,” said Eagles coach Jarrett Vosburg. “For 80 minutes, we battled a very good Naples squad, and had them frustrated for large stretches, leading by one up until midway in the second half. Right at that juncture, they had a couple of bounces go their way and they were able to score two goals in a short span of time to take a lead they would not relinquish. With that said, I am proud of the effort from the boys tonight. That’s a Naples team returning much of their lineup from last year’s Final, and we stepped up our game with a mostly first-year Varsity lineup and battled with them until the bitter end.”
The Eagles used the first 10 minutes of the contest to their utmost advantage, as they struck while the iron remained hot with Brayden Walton’s marker finding the back of the Naples net off a perfectly placed cross to the front by Joe Sadler.
The score was one of just three shots Fillmore would record against the Big Green in the entirety of battle.
The newly unearthed lead for the Eagles continued to hold idle all the way across the remainder of the opening half and into the bulk of the next, when the Big Green began to find their rhythm. Just past midway in the second half, the game was tied behind a big strike from Connor Betrus, as he connected with a cross to the front of the Fillmore cage to pummel home his game-tying shot to the back of the net.
25 seconds later after the kick at midfield, Naples held down on the gas pedal once again and delivered what served as the knockout punch to the defending Class D champions, as Matt Lincoln finished off the go-ahead marker on his solo rush into the offensive zone.
The 2-1 lead for Naples would go on to remain intact for the last fraction of time on the pitch, as the Big Green solidified their victory of redemption to earn their spot in this weekend’s Class D Finals once again. The Big Green advanced forward to outshoot Fillmore by a 15-3 total count, with Brayden Hennard making 13 saves in his final start between the posts for the Eagles.
Fillmore’s season has reached its conclusion, as they wrap up with a record of 11-5-3 overall. The team will graduate eight seniors in all when the end of the school year comes, in Hennard, Sadler, Jack Boon, Kalen Beardsley, Ryan Vedder, Connor Nendza, Alex Hatch and Cameron Kaszynski.
Vosburg offered his farewell wishes and his everlasting gratitude for his seniors and their contributions to the program over the years, saying “I feel for my Seniors tonight and I thank them for their endless contributions to FCS boys soccer, but rest a bit easier tonight knowing the future will continue to grow bright for this program.”
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Class D1 First Round
No. 7 Cuba-Rushford 3, No. 10 Keshequa 0
CUBA — Behind a career night on the frontlines by Lilah Stroud and another dominant night from Kendall Tompkins all over the floor, the No. 7 Cuba-Rushford Lady Rebels started their Sectional trek off on the most giant of footsteps to score a straight-set win in the Wighthouse on Tuesday over visiting No. 10 Keshequa by a 25-9, 25-23, 25-6 count.
Stroud led all strikers on the floor for the Lady Rebels (12-6) with a brilliant performance that unfolded with a career-high 14 kills. Right behind her was Raegan Poore, who chipped eight more kills of her own into the fray, while Tompkins established the offense’s bearings with 29 big assists at the net, coupling them with eight aces, four digs and a kill.
Cuba-Rushford now moves into the Class D1 Quarterfinal round, where they now hit the road and visit No. 2 C.G. Finney on Friday in a 6 p.m. first serve.
No. 3 Bolivar-Richburg 3, No. 14 Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
BOLIVAR — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg assembled an all-balanced attack to set the tone immediately against No. 14 Genesee Valley/Belfast, as the No. 3 seeds assumed control from start to finish to claim a straight-set, 25-6, 25-5, 25-5, victory in front of their home crowd, Tuesday evening.
A strong night of service was had by Carmen Crowley at the back line, as she glued together 11 team-leading aces to go with nine exceptional kills at the net and three digs for the Lady Wolverines (15-3). Jayna Thomas kept the ball off the floor with seven digs, pairing them with four more kills and four aces. Joey Danaher chipped in with four kills, three aces and a pair of digs of her own, while Willow Worth handed out 19 assists to pair with six aces and three digs.
Statistics for Genesee Valley/Belfast were not made available to report upon publication. The team will officially close their 2024 campaign with a record of 2-16 overall, as they prepare to graduate eight seniors in Aubrey Geoppner, Mackenzie Button, Kallie Burdick, Keanna Sands, Reagan Butler, Mackenzie Marciano, Carissa Mura and Regina Willmart.
As for the Lady Wolverines, their journey continues on to the Class D1 Quarterfinal round where they receive another home game on Friday, as they prepare to welcome in No. 5 Notre Dame-Batavia for battle.
A time for first service between the two teams has yet to be announced.
Class D2 First Round
No. 7 Houghton Academy 3, No. 10 Hinsdale 0
HOUGHTON — Abby Reitnour had a night to remember for the Lady Panthers of Houghton Academy, as the No. 7 seeds started their Sectional trek brilliantly with a powerful straight-set victory over No. 10 Hinsdale on Tuesday, claiming the 25-12, 25-16, 25-14 decision in the opening round of Class D2 battle.
“It was a special night for our senior libero Abby. On her second dig of the evening, she reached 500 in her career, as well as 500 assists at Houghton Academy. We are so proud of the hard work she has done both on the court and as a leader for this team.” said Lady Panthers coach Kathie Hilsher.
Julia Winkens led the offense for the Lady Panthers (11-7) with a team-high 10 kills, pairing them with three aces and three digs. Reitnour followed by finishing with six team-leading digs to go with two kills and two aces, while setter Ellie Brubaker dished out 25 helpers, adding them alongside two aces, two digs and one kill to round off the scoring for the hosts.
Statistics for Hinsdale were not made available to report upon publication. The Lady Bobcats see their season come to a close with a record of 4-14 overall. The team will graduate four seniors at the end of the school year, in Marissa Palumbo, Brooklyn Deibler, Aubrey Lauber and Alyssa Wilson.
Houghton Academy now navigates into the Class D2 Quarterfinal round on Friday, where they now travel to visit No. 2 Arkport-Canaseraga for a 6:30 p.m. first serve.
No. 6 Pavilion 3, No. 11 Andover/Whitesville 0
PAVILION — The sixth-seeded Lady Golden Gophers of Pavilion assembled a red hot start out of the gate during their Class D2 opening round battle against No. 11 Andover/Whitesville, as they set the tone for the remainder of the match right in the first set of what was a straight-set victory on their home floor, scoring the 25-9, 25-14, 25-17 victory on Tuesday.
Statistics for Andover/Whitesville were not made available to report upon publication.
Andover/Whitesville concludes their inaugural season of Section V volleyball with a record of 0-16.
