PHOTOS AND STORY BY CHRIS BROOKS (wellsvillesports.com, @iambrooksie on Twitter)
Tuesday Roundup: Lady Lions provide successful home debut, roll past Fillmore with 4-1 victory; Lady Eagles volleyball begin title defense with sweep of Hammondsport.
WELLSVILLE — Both Fillmore and Wellsville have had successful starts to their 2022 campaign through opening week. On Tuesday, it was time to face one another in the first of two meetings they will have this year.
Part one would wind up going to the host Lady Lions, as they made sure their home opener wasn’t spoiled by the Lady Eagles, collecting four victories out of five on the court to push towards a 2-0 start on the young season in a 4-1 decision.
Leading the way was a sweep of both doubles matches in near-shutout fashion, as the first doubles team of Caitlin Bittel and Hanna Miles (6-1, 6-0), along with the second doubles duo of Kelsey Seely and McKenna Wonderling (6-0, 6-1) each recorded victories in their respective matches, taking down Fillmore’s Molly Mahoney and Amy Majoros, and the duo of Emma Hopkins and Annika Wiltsey.
The victories carried over into the singles matches where the Lady Lions (2-0) gathered two of the three, with Samantha Bidzerkowny tallying a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Kali White at second singles, and Sarah Mattison becoming a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Kristina Wilcox at third singles to complete the match victory.
Fillmore’s (1-1) lone win came from their State Qualifier representative from a season ago in Olivia Chiu, who worked her way past Wellsville’s Meagan Riley at first singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. The Lady Eagles are back on the road Friday night with a 5 p.m. contest at Alfred-Almond.
Wellsville will hit the road themselves coming up on Thursday, as they visit the Avoca/Prattsburgh Lady Titans for a 5 p.m. first serve.
Singles
1. Olivia Chiu (FIL) def. Meagan Riley (WLSV), 6-2, 6-2.
2. Samantha Bidzerkowny (WLSV) def. Kali White (FIL), 6-1, 6-1.
3. Sarah Mattison (WLSV) def. Kristina Wilcox (FIL), 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles
1. Caitlin Bittel/Hanna Miles (WLSV) def. Molly Mahoney/Amy Majoros (FIL), 6-1, 6-0.
2. Kelsey Seely/McKenna Wonderling (WLSV) def. Emma Hopkins/Annika Wiltsey (FIL) 6-0, 6-1.
BOYS SOCCER
Houghton Academy 2, Genesee Valley/Belfast 1
HOUGHTON — This past week marked another tournament at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast in the books. One that saw Houghton Academy and Genesee Valley/Belfast hunker down in a battle of wits not only on offense, but across the midfield. It was a battle that wound up seeing the Panthers edge out the hosts to advance into the title game over the weekend.
The two foes met again on Tuesday to settle the score again in Houghton. But this time, all three goals between each squad were scored in a matter of minutes from one another, in a rapid succession.
In the end, the response to a quick start was what mattered the most out of it all.
After Genesee Valley/Belfast found their way onto the board first in the game’s first minute, Houghton Academy’s response was even larger, doubling up in a matter of minutes themselves to overtake the lead ultimately for good, as they hung on through a midfield battle from that point on to secure another 2-1 win on their home turf.
“This was kind of a fast and furious game. But we tightened up after they managed to score really quickly. Having a couple of wins against that kind of team that Mark (Sullivan) always has, it’s really exciting. These guys were really pumped up after this tonight.” Panthers coach Jeff Prentice said.
All three goals were scored in the game’s first minutes, with Genesee Valley/Belfast finding their way onto the board first just 40 seconds after the kick at center. But the response provided by the Panthers (2-1) was even greater, doubling up with a pair of goals coming from the foot of Brian Patipewe to give them the lead in a hurry.
From that point forward, the battle would rage across the midfield. A fight that the Panthers would ultimately win in the end to secure their second victory over Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-2) this week.
Further statistics were not made available to report upon publication.
Houghton Academy will hit the road on Monday, as they visit Northstar for a 4:30 p.m. first kick, while Genesee Valley/Belfast is off until next Thursday night back home, hosting the Fillmore Eagles in a 7 p.m. contest under the lights in Belmont.
Bolivar-Richburg 2, Hinsdale 0
HINSDALE — Fresh off taking their first tournament crown in Belfast ever, the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines hoped to use that as kindling wood to continue sparking up a great start to their season in the opening week. Tuesday saw them take the road to Hinsdale for a first-round matchup rematch against the Bobcats.
Unlike the first time around, both the Wolverines and host Bobcats fought tooth and nail through the first 40 minutes across the midfield, compiling chances along the way. But there were no goals that found the back of the net.
With a scoreless tie to break in the second half, the cracks kept piling up. Until the Wolverines finally found a way to break through.
Bolivar-Richburg scored both of the game’s goals in the last half of the second half, as Aydin Sisson and Reiss Gaines managed to get the job done to survive a defensive battle with Hinsdale in their 2-0 shutout to record their third straight win to open the season.
Sisson was the first to break the ice for the Wolverines (3-0) late in the second half. With 16:37 remaining on the clock, he was given a pass from center by Evan Pinney to work with, moving his way past the Hinsdale defense to bury his chance into the back of the net to open the scoring.
The 1-0 lead would be held onto up until the final minute of regulation, when a huge piece of insurance essentially put the game on lock for the visitors in white and red, as Landon Barkley dished along a pass to the foot of Reiss Gaines, taking the shot and burying it with 34 seconds remaining to secure the victory for good.
Bolivar-Richburg would outshoot Hinsdale by a 9-5 count, with David Abdo making all five saves to record his second shutout. As for the Bobcats (0-3), Ethan Chapman made seven stops.
Both teams are back on the field Thursday night with a pair of 7 p.m. first kicks, as the Wolverines head for Scio to partake in the annual Brock Young Tournament, where they will face host Friendship/Scio in first round action, while Hinsdale remains pat at home to host Archbishop Walsh.
Fillmore 10, Friendship/Scio 0
SCIO — The road swing for the Eagles of Fillmore carried into Tuesday after a Class D1 Finals rematch with Arkport/Canaseraga was hung into the win column to open their season right before the weekend hit. With a trip to Scio in store for the new week on Tuesday, the offense caused an eruption.
Five different goal scorers all got involved for the defending Class D1 Champions, with senior Mitch Ward finding the back of the Friendship/Scio net four times, setting a tone that the Eagles were able to carry from start to finish in Scio with a 10-0 shutout to continue their hot offensive start.
Adding help along the way was Henry Sardina, who recorded the team’s second hat trick with his trio of tallies. Layton Sanasith, Jack Cool and Zach Sisson all chipped in with goals of their own to wrap up the attack for Fillmore (2-0). In goal, Luke Colombo set aside one shot to earn the shutout. The Eagles return to action on Monday in their home opener, hosting the Wellsville Lions in a 7 p.m. battle.
Landon Arnold would make seven stops on the other end, for Friendship/Scio (0-1), who will get set to host Bolivar-Richburg in first round action of their home Brock Young Tournament, beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. Cuba-Rushford and Andover/Whitesville will lead off the annual tournament with a 5 p.m. first round battle of their own.
GIRLS SOCCER
Cuba-Rushford 4, Bolivar-Richburg 1
CUBA — A little over a week removed from their season-opening defeat to the hands of Olean, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford made their return to the field. With Bolivar-Richburg in town for a visit, bounce back games for both squads were waiting in the wings.
The gap created by one team in the first half, quickly began to close in the next. But in the late stages and with their lead still in hand, the Lady Rebels would deliver a backbreaker.
Leading by one, Cuba-Rushford came through in the clutch with some crunch-time magic, netting a pair of goals in a two-minute span in the last six minutes of play, as Taylor Searle and Jen Tuttle provided the humongous pieces of insurance to secure the lead for the hosts in blue and white to go past the Lady Wolverines by a 4-1 count.
“It was a bit of a nervous second half I feel like. Once we got those two late goals, it felt like we were able to finally breathe,” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight. “I thought we played really well defensively. Bolivar-Richburg showed how dangerous they can be on offense against Olean, especially the (McKinlee & Madigan) Harris sisters. I’m really pleased that we were able to hold them to just the one goal.”
Through a good portion of the opening half, both teams navigated even playing ground across the midfield, garnering chances against the net along the way. With under 14 minutes left to play, the Lady Rebels (1-1) were able to strike first with Riley Keller finding the back of the net off a Taylor Searle pass to get the scoring started.
Two minutes later, a fast addition onto the scoreboard was garnered by the hosts from Shae Maples, who scored a goal of her own off another pass from center, this time from Sofia Riquelme to help take a 2-0 lead at the break. The lead would then become cut straight in half just five minutes into the final session, with McKinlee Harris working her way onto the score sheet for the Lady Wolverines (1-2).
Despite the deficit decreasing to one, the Lady Rebels were able to hold steady on their lead despite some pressure coming down the homestretch. But that was warded off in the last six minutes of play, where the hosts scored two more goals in a rapid succession to push their lead insurmountably, beginning with Searle’s netter from Jen Tuttle with 6:15 left. Just over two minute later, Tuttle would score the very last goal of the game, with Cloey Larabee picking up the assist on her pass.
Tuttle’s goal and assist were the first markers of her Varsity career.
In all, Cuba-Rushford outshot Bolivar-Richburg by an 18-7 count, with Tara Duvall making six saves to secure the victory.
As for the Lady Wolverines, Kyla Gayton put a stop to 14 shots on the other end of the field. Bolivar-Richburg will return to the field back on the road Friday night in Whitesville, as they prepare to face Andover/Whitesville in a 5 p.m. first kick
Fillmore 8, Friendship/Scio 1
FRIENDSHIP — With a perfectly successful weekend of tournament soccer on their home field now in the rearview mirror, the time for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore to continue doing damage on the road for the first time on Tuesday. In Friendship, their offensive firepower continued onward, with Hope and Grace Russell leading the charge in what was an 8-1 victory over host Friendship/Scio.
The Lady Eagles (3-0) offense went on to score four goals in each half of the contest, with Hope Russell locking down a first half hat trick with the team’s first three, including the opener in the first two minutes of play off a feed provided by Madi Geertman. Rachel Hatch and Malory DeRock would dish along assists of their own on the next pair, which would come within seconds of each other to complete the early explosion.
Russell helped conclude the 4-0 first half with an assist of her own off to Grace Russell at the 28-minute mark. In the first 13 minutes of the second half, Fillmore added in three more goals all assisted by Grace Russell, as Hope Russell recorded her fourth and final goal in between netters by both Geertman and DeRock. With 15 minutes remaining, Oakley Frazier put a bow on the scoring with her second of the season off of DeRock’s second helper.
Friendship/Scio (0-2-1) would work their way onto the scoreboard with 10 minutes remaining, eliminating the shutout with assistance from Jenn Dickens. In goal, Preslee Miller would make two saves to earn the win for Fillmore.
Both teams are back in action Monday night, with the Lady Eagles traveling to Wellsville to take on the Lady Lions in a 7 p.m. opening kick, while Friendship/Scio heads over the hill to Scio to host Jasper-Troupsburg in a 5 p.m. contest of their own.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Fillmore 3, Hammondsport 0
HAMMONDSPORT — Monday night saw the Class D3 title defense that belonged to the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, get underway with their first contest of the new season. And it was against an opponent that is no slouch when it comes to competition in Section V — the Hammondsport Lady Lakers.
It was a battle that Fillmore had to dig deep down in the trenches in, going back and forth with the Lakers across all the sets of action. Fortunately enough for the Lady Eagles, they were able to take them all, as they outlasted the powerhouse hosts with a straight-set sweep to begin their defense, taking the 25-20, 25-22, 25-21 decision for themselves.
Leading the charge on offense for the Lady Eagles (1-0) was Savannah Hosmer on the frontlines, recording a team-high six kills. From the service line, it was Ava Sylvester that had the hot hand, garnering six team-high aces, while the team’s libero, Zoe Hubbard, handed out 12 assists at the front of the net to pair with three additional aces.
Fillmore’s road swing will continue onward into Friday night, as they pay a visit to Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 7:30 p.m. first serve.
Cuba-Rushford 3, Houghton Academy 1
HOUGHTON — After being dealt a tough season-opening loss to the hands of Allegany-Limestone last week, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were poised for a comeback when they returned to action on Tuesday.
Their first road trip entailed a visit to Class D3 Finalist Houghton Academy, where they were able to push the Lady Panthers to the brink in the early stages. But after a back-and-forth fight that saw the hosts survive, Cuba-Rushford was able to get the job done for their first win of the season, taking the decision in four sets by a 25-17, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21 count.
The Lady Rebels (1-1) were able to use a great mix of offense and special teams to their biggest of advantages all through the match, with Lauren O’Keefe catapulting the attack behind a game-high 12 kills, pairing them with five digs and two aces. Bri Green added in eight kills of her own to continue fueling the fire, along with four blocks up front and one additional ace, while libero Kendall Tompkins was racking up the assists, handing out 25 in total to go with eight aces, seven digs and one kill.
Houghton Academy (0-1) countered with some offensive firepower of their own along the way, with Jessica Prentice leading that department with a team-high 11 kills, mixing them in along with five aces and four denials. Jessica Adenuga pitched in 10 more kills of her own to go with three blocks and two aces.
The Lady Panthers are back in action Tuesday night back on their home floor, as they host the Wellsville Lady Lions in a 6 p.m. first serve.
“For our two returning starters, this was a great opportunity for them to play with their new teammates. Cuba-Rushford’s serving really dominated the game across all facets.” said Lady Panthers coach Kathie Hilsher.
As for Cuba-Rushford, they, along with Wellsville, will partake in tournament action this weekend at Campbell-Savona, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Their regular season will resume back out on the road with a 7:30 p.m. first serve at Hinsdale, next Tuesday.
Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
BELMONT — From start to finish, the Arkport/Canaseraga Lady Wolves set the pace against host Genesee Valley/Belfast, coming away with a runaway finish in the opening set of the night and using it to their advantage as a big momentum boost going forward, as they coasted towards straight-set triumph by a 25-11, 25-10, 25-19 count on Tuesday.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (0-1) was paced by Liliana Porter on offense, compiling a team-high five kills to go with three aces and two digs. Raygen Haggstrom chipped in with three kills of her own, along with two digs and an ace, while libero Cassidy Hand dished out seven helpers to pair with a duo of aces.
Bella Merry led Arkport/Canaseraga with a powerful night of service, recording 22 service points to go with eight aces, and three kills.
Up next is a quick turnaround for Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they prepare for their first contest over the road with a 7 p.m. visit to Canisteo-Greenwood in store for this evening.
Perry 3, Hinsdale 0
PERRY — The Hinsdale Lady Bobcats saw their season opener spoiled by the host Perry Lady Yellowjackets on Tuesday, as they rolled to a dominant start to their game and never looked back across all three sets of action, flying their way towards straight-set victory by a 25-13, 25-11, 25-4 count.
Individual statistics for the Lady Bobcats were not made available to report upon publication.
Hinsdale (0-1) will return to action Thursday night back on their home floor, welcoming in the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines for a 7:30 p.m. first serve in their home opener.
