By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com, visit www.wellsvillesun.com for more coverag
BOLIVAR — Between both Wellsville and Bolivar-Richburg on Thursday, seven goals found their way into the back of the net from four different players on the field. In the first half, it was a Wolverines lead at first before the Lions exchanged it in favor of a halftime tie with the momentum now in their possession.
The back-and-forth exchanges extended into the into the beginning stages of the second half, but following their newest deadlock, the Lions would tilt the balance back in their favor one more time, as Blake Kalkhof and Nick Germain-Tardieu ran wild on the attack, with Kalkhof concluding his hat trick in what was a four-goal second half of play to set up their recovery into the win column by a 5-2 count at Dunsmore-Latimer Field in Bolivar.
“They needed this. They were looking left and right to feed each other, and that’s what made all the difference in the world. We played with some positions and it just really started to groove,” said Lions coach Bethany Faulkner. “We talked at halftime about being content no longer being acceptable. It’s about everyone playing a role from the back to the front. There’s no room for anything that doesn’t benefit the team as a whole. Aiden (Cowburn) dished great thru-balls constantly, my strikers came back to play defense, Blake and Nick are two kids I’ve been waiting on to build this season. It was an all-important second half.”
Following the first of two exchanges between Waide Karnuth and Landon Barkley for the Wolverines (1-6-1) in the game, with Karnuth breaking the ice just over 10 minutes in for a 1-0 lead, the Lions (3-2-4) countered with their game-tying score from Germain-Tardieu — the first of two he would knock away to the back of the net, with 14:54 left until the break.
The two foes went into the break on level playing ground before exchanging back-to-back goals once again in a span of 1:22, with Wellsville going out on top with their first lead of the game for a brief moment, as Ty Vogel delivered a stellar pass to Kalkhof for his first of three second half goals. Immediately after, Landon Barkley responded with a goal of his own, as he finished off a pass from Karnuth at the 31:11 mark.
What momentum that was built by the hosts in black and red to get their offense going, was completely erased when Wellsville flipped one more switch with Germain-Tardieu and Kalkhof going back-to-back themselves, with Aiden Cowburn handing out a helper to Kalkhof for his second goal, in a span of 2:30 to give them a 3-2 lead. Kalkhof put a bow on his hat trick with 9:50 left in the game with his third and final score.
The five goals for the Lions came on 18 total shots against the Wolverines, as they claimed the 18-11 advantage when it was all said and done. In goal, Gavin Haggerty was awarded the win behind nine saves.
On the opposite end, Ayden Music made 13 saves for the hosts, who will have a quick turnaround tonight back at Dunsmore-Latimer Field, hosting Genesee Valley/Belfast at 7 p.m.
Wellsville will head back home and host one of Section V’s soccer powerhouses: The Avon Riverhawks, in a 7 p.m. first kick.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 7, Friendship/Scio 0
BELFAST — Seven different scorers for undefeated Genesee Valley/Belfast all took the reins of the offense, as they kept the momentum rolling on all fronts against visiting Friendship/Scio at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast by netting a tone-setting goal nearly 20 seconds into battle, claiming what ultimately shaped into a 7-0 shutout victory on Thursday.
Ryan Snyder, Ian McKenzie, Wyatt Weaver, Will Guilford, Finn Heaney, Brayden Cooper and Alex McLaughlin all ignited the attack on the front lines for Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-0-1) from start to finish, as they connected with seven goals off eight total shots the team would record against Friendship/Scio.
For Heaney and McLaughlin, it was the very first score of their Varsity careers.
In total, the hosts claimed an 8-6 advantage on Friendship/Scio (0-9). In net, Zach Thomas recorded the win, making all six saves. On the opposite end, Deacon Brown made one save for the visitors.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will be back on the field tonight at Dunsmore-Latimer Field for a 7 p.m. battle with the host Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines, while Friendship/Scio hits the road for a 5 p.m. visit to Jasper-Troupsburg on Monday.
Houghton Academy 4, Andover/Whitesville 2
WHITESVILLE — Despite falling into a deep trench across the first half of play on Thursday, Andover/Whitesville did everything in their power to fight back. With the County’s hottest team in Houghton Academy finding their rhythm early, Brody Vance helped lead the charge with two monstrous goals to close the gap to a single goal down the home stretch.
But despite an incredible effort to try and turn the tide, the Panthers would remain red hot at the end of the night, as they scored a massive piece of insurance with nearly 10 minutes remaining to seal the Panthers sixth straight victory in style, rolling towards a 4-2 doubling-up of Andover/Whitesville over the road in Whitesville.
The Panthers (6-2) stormed immediately out with a 3-0 lead of Andover/Whitesville in the first 40 minute session, with David Jatta getting the team’s first following a battle for possession across the field. Looking to add more damage, the visitors in white and blue saw Jae Masiza and Huy Ho both reach the back of the net themselves in 1:20, tripling their lead over the hosts in an instant.
Andover/Whitesville (4-4-1) showed no let down however, as Brody Vance fired right back with both of the team’s markers in the second half, with his first eliminating Houghton Academy’s possibility of a shutout with a strike right from the corner, as he intercepted the ball from the Panthers defense to capitalize upon it in full almost two minutes in, while adding his second past midway to trim their deficit to a single goal.
But the hosts could not get the momentum swing they needed, as the Panthers went on to remain hot behind Hoang Phung’s insurance-adding score that slipped straight through Andover/Whitesville keeper Skylar Orpet and his mitts between the posts, with 12 minutes left in regulation. Phung and Jae Masiza each added an assist into the mix.
Combined between the two teams, 32 shots were applied on goal, with Houghton Academy claiming the 19-13 advantage. In goal, Jerry Pham picked up the win for the Panthers.
Houghton Academy will look to make it seven in a row back home, hosting Jasper-Troupsburg in a 1 p.m. contest, while Andover/Whitesville heads home themselves on Monday with a 5 p.m. visit to Whitesville from the Fillmore Eagles.
Canisteo-Greenwood 5, Cuba-Rushford 0
CANISTEO — The Canisteo Valley. It’s a place that has become incredibly hard to travel to and come out on top no matter the sport, in year’s past.
For the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, the proving grounds in Steuben County would give them a chance to turn things back around in the right direction following a tough loss to the hands of Houghton Academy earlier this week.
As for host Canisteo-Greenwood, they were looking to build off a tremendous deadlock against undefeated Avoca-Prattsburgh back on Wednesday.
Something had to give between both teams, when they collided in their make-up battle from the Tri-County Cup Tournament at the beginning of this month. The chances would mount against both teams, but through the majority of time played in the opening half, there was no score to share amongst them.
That was until the very end of the stanza.
With seven minutes left until the break, the Chargers found their rhythm and delivered a go-ahead haymaker against Cuba-Rushford. Led by a rush upfield from Nate Prete, he would eventually find Brendon Ackerman for the score — one that ultimately served as the game-winning blow, as Canisteo-Greenwood went on to punch down on the acceleration in the second half with four more goals, as the Chargers brought it all back to secure a 5-0 home blank of Cuba-Rushford.
After a midfield battle for the loose ball erupted all throughout the opening half, the Chargers found their opening to exploit against the Rebels (3-3-1), using it in full behind Prete’s incredible lofting shot straight up the field for Ackerman to make a run to the goal, knocking it in for his first of two in the game, and a 1-0 lead going into the halftime recess.
The scoring didn’t stop there.
Three more scorers for Canisteo-Greenwood all got in on the fun, with Prete, Thomas Sirianni and Declan McAneney all netting a goal, along with Ackerman’s second of the game. All four of the second half goals for the Chargers came in rapid succession, stemming across a six-minute span to alter the course of history at the drop of a hat.
The five total markers that found the netting of the Cuba-Rushford cage, were supplied off 15 shots, as they snagged a 15-5 advantage against the Rebels. The win in goal was recorded by Kaden Mitchell, who made all five saves for the shutout. As for Caleb Elliott for Cuba-Rushford, the keeper made 10 saves.
Cuba-Rushford will look to bounce back in their latest road trip coming up on Saturday, visiting the Fillmore Eagles in a 5 p.m. first kick.
