By SPENCER BATES
PORTVILLE — Entering its game against Southwestern, the Portville girls soccer team was looking to secure its third consecutive win after tying and losing a game apiece before the run.
The Trojans proved a problem for the Panthers earlier in the season, the 2-0 defeat the latter suffered in the reverse fixture currently stands as one of the only two losses they’ve tallied on the season.
But fortunately enough for coach Mike Matz, after his side netted a goal in the 25th minute, they maintained a strong defensive effort that saw the 1-0 result over the line. A resiliency, he noted, gained by being in the company of quality opposition in their league.
“This league is really awesome because it makes you play for 80 minutes or more, as we saw against Falconer,” Matz said. “So, one of the things we’ve really been working on is finishing and keeping it going. We gave up a goal against Wellsville on Monday with 19 seconds left in the half, we gave up the tying goal against Falconer with 65 seconds left. So, if you’re not ready to play 80 minutes full throttle, something bad is going to happen. There’s a lot of good teams out there. So, the thing I was most proud of is the team going 80 minutes.”
A critical part of Portville’s defensive stand was the presence of Emma Rhinehart. An experienced leader at the center-defensive midfield position, Rhinehart was crucial in making a number of important clearances as Southwestern mounted one attack after another. And as impactful as she was against the Trojans, it was only a percentage of what she’s capable of as she is currently in the process of nursing a slight injury.
“Emma is everything you could want in a not just a soccer player, but as a person,” Matz said. “She’s top of her class, she’s universally liked, you couldn’t draw up a better kid than that. She’s a natural leader for our team, she’s a three-year starter, the kids look to her … and she’s done a fantastic job. She’s got a little bit of an ankle problem, that’s why we haven’t been able to push her forward quite as much, … but we’re trying to keep her on the field while still maintaining her improving health. She’s indispensable.”
The general health of the team is a major factor the Panthers have had to deal with as well as of late. According to Matz, the number of knocks his players have picked up is what has led to their recent games having more of a defensive emphasis. Something, he admits, might not be the prettiest, but clearly gets the job done.
“Right now, (our slower build-up play) is kind of a function of our general health,” Matz said. “We understand that we’re giving up some balls, there are some areas of the field that are left open, and that’s just how we have to live right now. It’s kind of ugly to watch on film, but that’s where we’re at. Our lineup has shifted, players have come in and out, that’s just kind of where we’re at right now. Hopefully we can get some people healthy as we run up to the playoffs.”
Alongside Rhinehart, Grace Gariepy was another player that made her presence known against the Trojans. A crafty player with a stocked arsenal of skills and an eye for goal, she was a thorn in the side of Southwestern each time she found the ball at her feet. In fact, it was on the back of one of her many threatening dribbles upfield that Portville’s Allie Bray found the back of the net.
“Grace is like a woodchuck that pops up out of different holes all over the field,” Matz said. “She’s an energy machine and runs all over the place, but there’s still a little bit of adjustment to be made as we bring new people in. But, I mean, she will not stop running.”
But perhaps the biggest victory within the win itself was that the result underscored the strength of the girls soccer pipeline in Portville. Multiple JV players featuring in a game against a strong league rival and still being able to put a tally in the win column come full time, exemplified just how deeply connected each level of Portville youth soccer is to the Panthers program.
“We had three or four JV kids at the game tonight, and three of them played,” Matz said. “It’s a system thing. When you have a really strong youth and developmental system, we’re good, we can do this, and we’re fine with it.”
Portville will look to push its win streak to four in its next game, an away affair against Jamestown on Oct. 6 at 4:30 p.m.
