Saturday Roundup: Southwick-Powers breaks through for GV/Belfast with OT winner over A-P in defensive battle; O’Connor scores for Lady Lions, deadlock A-A in Driskell Tournament title game
Photos and story by Chris Brooks, managing editor wellsvillesport.com
BELFAST — Genesee Valley/Belfast answered the bell in what was a difficult game one contest with the C.G. Finney Lady Falcons back on Thursday. The hope was for the game one victory to carry over into the weekend with the Avoca/Prattsburgh Lady Titans in town to visit the Rich Sullivan Athletics Complex.
Through a vast majority of the opening half, both teams combined to apply just two shots on goal, one on each end of the field. But going into the second half, the momentum began to build through all of the early scoring chances in the first 40 minutes. As a result, Avoca/Prattsburgh and Genesee Valley/Belfast both found the back of the net once to force overtime.
But all that was needed was nearly two minutes of time to determine the outcome for the night. That was supplied by Hannah Southwick-Powers, who raced her high horse all the way into the Avoca/Prattsburgh zone to deliver Genesee Valley/Belfast’s golden goal in quick fashion, finishing the night and the weekend on a victorious note with a 2-1 overtime win.
“What a gritty, hard-fought win. We have some youth in key places and it showed tonight, but Hannah stepped up late and delivered a huge goal in overtime when we needed it the most. Kimme Ball had a monster game in goal to help keep us in it too.” said GV/Belfast co-coach Duane Powers.
For much of the first half, the battle was on. Between each side, many rushes into the offensive zone were made, plenty of scoring opportunities started to come into fruition.
But it was a true defensive battle up and down the field across the majority of a 40-minute period that saw just two shots, one for both Avoca/Prattsburgh and Genesee Valley/Belfast, before last minute pressure by the hosts in black and gray saw them record three straight shots — two from Southwick-Powers and one by Jenna Hill, all stopped by Elise Harrell before time expired.
Kimme Ball would also make a stellar save herself from within the half’s final minute off a breakaway rush by the Lady Titans, racing out to meet the attacker near the top of the 18 with a slide to cover the ball up.
With mutual knocking at their respective doors continuing into the second half, time would run down to the last 20 minutes before Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0) found their way onto the board first with Southwick-Powers helping set it all up in the midst of a mad scramble in front of the Avoca/Prattsburgh cage, sending a pass along to Sophie Zillgitt, who pried it free and buried it home for the icebreaker.
Up 1-0 and time whittling away on the clock, Genesee Valley/Belfast would now turn to their defense to help keep their advantage intact. But Avoca/Prattsburgh had other plans in mind for the endgame stages with 2:16 to go, as Olivia Kilmer was set up by Meyah Putnam for the equalizing tally to force extra time.
But it wouldn’t take long in overtime for the game-winning goal to find the back of the net, as Southwick-Powers ended it for Genesee Valley/Belfast nearly two minutes into the extra session on a breakaway to the Avoca/Prattsburgh net. The penultimate goal was one of 11 total shots Genesee Valley/Belfast had against the Lady Titans, outshooting them by an 11-5 count.
In goal, Ball recorded the victory with four saves while Harrell made nine saves for the Lady Titans.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is back on the field Tuesday night, this time at Judy Bliven Field in Belmont, where they host Bolivar-Richburg in a 7 p.m. first kick.
Addison Tournament Championship
Alfred-Almond 1, Wellsville 1
ADDISON — After a brilliant start that saw them take down host Addison in a first half battle just 48 hours ago, the Lady Lions of Wellsville now found themselves in the fast lane towards the Blake Driscoll Championship game on Saturday.
All of a sudden, they were one win away from a perfect opening tenure in Addison to start their season. Standing in their way of that ideal obstacle were the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles, who were also looking to do the same themselves after a win against Campbell-Savona.
But like their previous first round matchup with the Lady Knights, the Lady Lions were tasked with another tough challenge all game long. In the end, it was a game in which the team in black and orange had not come out on top. It was a game that didn’t give them their first loss either.
After each team found the back of the net in the last 20 minutes of the opening half, both Alfred-Almond and Wellsville buckled in down for the remainder of the game on defense, as they settled on their first deadlock through 100 minutes of competitive soccer with a 1-1 decision to split this year’s tournament crown.
The Lady Lions (1-0-1) were the first team to strike in the midst of a fierce midfield battle in the early stages of the opening half, when Makenzie Cowburn delivered a strong ball upfield to Talia O’Connor for her second of the season near the midway mark, breaking the ice with a 1-0 lead.
The lead was held down to the wire in the half, when Alfred-Almond saw their way onto the board for the first and only time on a score from Katen Donlon with five minutes remaining.
From that point forward, both teams were stride for stride with one another for the next 60 minutes of action before the final horn sounded, with a 1-1 tie remaining on the board.
Despite the deadlock, the Lady Lions were at the top of their game once more on offense, outshooting Alfred-Almond by a massive 24-5 count. In goal, Madison Thompson made four saves.
Wellsville is back on the field for more tournament action beginning on Wednesday at Wayland-Cohocton, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. first round matchup against Letchworth.
Fillmore Tournament
Fillmore 4, Portville 0
FILLMORE — The Lady Eagles of Fillmore finished up their weekend in the most perfect of ways, Saturday night. After a dominant shutout performance over Holland, they would close out a 2-0 tournament outing through a strong performance from the Lady Panthers of Portville, using three second half goals to propel their ascension to glory with a 4-0 blank.
“We were certainly challenged from the beginning. We expected Portville to be a handful and the first half was as advertised,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “We had a few more chances in the first half but couldn’t break through. At halftime, we regrouped and with our leadership, the girls responded and upped their intensity and level of play. Hope (Russell) came out and scored the next two goals and our overall play showed more effort and comfortableness. Our defense was rock solid against a very good Portville offense. It’s all about being effective, especially in a game like this, and they were.”
Through a stout defensive battle in the opening 40 minutes, the Lady Eagles (2-0) were able to somehow find an open window through all of it with the game’s first goal near the midway mark, which was set up by a pretty corner kick off the foot of Amelia Rose and straight to the front of the Portville cage where Grace Russell met the ball with ease to put the score away for her third of the season.
It would give Fillmore the upper-hand on the Lady Panthers going into the break, but the decibel level on the field to start the second half went straight through the roof with Hope Russell’s back-to-back pair of scores in rapid succession upping the Lady Eagles to three, with the first coming on a helper from Grace before taking the next all by herself to the Portville net.
The three-goal lead would hold until Tenlee Miller helped put the finishing touches on the victory and the perfect weekend for the hosts in black just past the halfway mark on a Hope Russell apple up the field to make it a 4-0 lead. The four Fillmore goals came on 14 total shots they would apply against the visitors in white and maroon, compared to the five in return that the Lady Panthers had.
In goal, Preslee Miller was rock solid, stopping all five shots to record her second consecutive shutout to open her senior season in between the posts.
The Lady Eagles are now off until Tuesday night, where they prepare for a 5 p.m. visit to Andover/Whitesville, in Whitesville.
Thursday Roundup: Lady Eagles pound Holland with eight 1st half goals, roll to 10-0 victory to open season; Lady Lions use 1st half spark plug to down Addison with 2-1 win
FILLMORE — There was simply no denying the Lady Eagles of Fillmore their first win of the season on Thursday.
With their home tournament helping open up their 2023-24 slate, the Lady Eagles went on to find the back of the Holland net in any way, shape or form they could, posting a monstrous first half of play to set the tone immediately, never looking back on what was a 10-0 shutout over the Lady Dutchmen.
“We have to feel pretty pleased with our first outing,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “Holland is a competitive team out of Class C in Section VI and they’re a frequent visitor to our tournament since we started this a couple of years ago. We had a lot of contribution all over the field with nine players figuring in the scoring and many others doing some outstanding things. We will have a tough one on Saturday against Portville. It will be a great game.”
Out of the 10 goals that the Lady Eagles (1-0) caught the Holland net on fire with, eight of them came in the first 40 minutes of play. At an even more rapid pace, three scores in the first five minutes of play, with Delaney Hillman scoring her first of the season sandwiched in between a pair of Hope Russell tallies. Russell would wind up scoring four goals to pair with her one assist to finish a nine-point contest on the attack.
The quick barrage of offense within the game’s initial minutes provided a big tone-setter for Fillmore to control much of the battle with from start to finish, as they kept Holland off the board and on their feet with magnificent ball movement, patience, as well as their defense in front of Preslee Miller, who recorded the shutout making three saves.
Fillmore recorded 22 total shots against the Lady Dutchmen, with Grace Russell scoring two goals to follow behind her sister Hope on the statsheet, while Hillman, Amelia Rose, Rachel Hatch (two assists), Allie Mills, and the Miller sisters — Tenlee and Mylee, both recorded their first career Varsity goals to finish off the scoring. Oakley Frazier furthered the team’s cause with three helpers, all in the first half.
Prior to the tournament’s nightcap, Portville defeated Arkport/Canaseraga, 3-0 after a strong start on both ends of the field allowed the Lady Panthers to set the tone against the Lady Wolves.
The Lady Panthers carried a 2-0 lead into halftime, where they evaded the Lady Wolves and their most prime opportunity to cut the deficit right down the middle near midway in the second half in the midst of back-to-back corner kicks. But the Portville defense was able to shut down the chance quickly and clear the zone, allowing their third piece of insurance to formulate off the momentum shift with 14 minutes remaining to seal the game for good.
All four teams will return to action to close out the tournament Saturday night, with Arkport/Canaseraga taking the stage first against Holland in a 5 p.m. first kick, while Fillmore closes out at 7 p.m. with Portville.
Addison Tournament: Lady Lions hold steady behind big 1st half goals to capture title game spot
ADDISON — The first 40 minutes of play was the sufficient time frame where all the scoring took place to help open up tournament action in Addison between the Lady Lions of Wellsville and the host Lady Knights, Thursday night.
Falling into an early hole out of the gate, the Lady Lions were tasked with providing a big response in return.
They would go on and double their answer.
In a span of six minutes, Wellsville made sure they went into the break with the lead in hand, as they weaved their way through the Addison defense twice to tie and ultimately take the lead away from the Lady Knights, using the final 40 minute portion of time to solidify their defense led by an exceptional showing between the pipes from Lauren Viglietta to help the Lady Lions lock up their first win of the season by a 2-1 count and a spot in Saturday afternoon’s Championship game.
“What a way to start the season. This team has the drive and intensity to win games,” said Lady Lions coach Erica Aftuck. “Lauren Viglietta stepped up and played goal for us tonight. She played great, and she was aggressive and fearless. We worked as a team and never gave up. I am looking forward to this season with this group of athletes.”
After an early goal from Payton Smith nearly 10 minutes removed from the opening kick at center for Addison, the Lady Lions (1-0) were put on their feet for the remainder of the opening half. Despite the pressure, they would deliver a game-tying goal courtesy of a header from Talia O’Connor at the 25 minute mark to create even playing ground.
Not long after the deadlocking tally, Wellsville would snip it in favor of a go-ahead goal by Ayla Faulkner just six minutes later to give them the lead going into the break. The Lady Lions would remain in the driver’s seat all the way until the end, as the defense, led by stellar goaltending by Lauren Viglietta, fended off the Lady Knights once and for all to claim their first win of the season.
Both Wellsville goals came on 11 shots, as they were narrowly outshot by Addison, 15-11. In goal, Viglietta put a stop to 14 total shots to record the victory.
Up next, the Lady Lions will battle for the tournament’s championship title against the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles on Saturday in a 3 p.m. first kick.
Bolivar-Richburg 2, Andover/Whitesville 1 (F-2OT)
ANDOVER — In the very first game of the season between Bolivar-Richburg and Andover/Whitesville, overtime was in the cards. After a scoreless first half went and gone, the heat was turned up in the last 40 minutes of play where both teams found the back of the net once to force not one, but two extra sessions.
With nearly five minutes left in double overtime and a potential tie waiting in the wings, the same scorer who helped ensure overtime late in the second half was the very same person who became the first game’s hero.
That being Cassidy Stives.
The Bolivar-Richburg junior called game deep in the Andover/Whitesville zone on a massive special teams opportunity, finding the loose ball right out in front of the cage and burying it home to put the Lady Wolverines into the win column in style to open up the new campaign on Thursday in Andover, as they edged their way towards a 2-1 double overtime victory under the lights.
After a fierce first half battle emanated all through the first half of play, the action began to ramp up when the final set of 40 minutes kicked into gear almost immediately. That was the case for Andover/Whitesville (0-1), as they struck gold first just 100 seconds removed from the kick at center, as Leigha Phelps sent along a picture-perfect cross across the front of the Bolivar-Richburg box to the foot of Brynna Gaylord for the score.
The lead for the hosts would hold steady all the way down to the wire, when the Lady Wolverines (1-0) were able to navigate their way onto the board with the first of two Cassidy Stives strikes, capitalizing on the first at the top of the Andover/Whitesville box after a pass from Emma Sisson was shifted along to assist in setting up the game-tying play with nearly 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Upon entering the pair of overtime periods, the tie would hold as the midfield battle between both teams raged on.
But with 5:12 left on the clock and a potential season-opening tie remaining a possibility, Stives erased that chance with her final tally with a stellar position parked out front of the Andover/Whitesville cage, scoring the golden goal off a corner kick to give the Lady Wolverines the winning edge.
Despite the defeat, the Andover/Whitesville offense outshot Bolivar-Richburg by a 15-7 count, with Olivia Waters recording five saves to pick up the win. In turn, Rylee Whiting made 14 stops for the visiting team in white and red.
Both teams are now off until after the Labor Day weekend, when they take the field on Tuesday, as Bolivar-Richburg continues their road swing with a 7 p.m. battle against Genesee Valley/Belfast at Judy Bliven Field in Belmont, while Andover/Whitesville heads over the hill to Whitesville for a 5 p.m. meeting from Fillmore.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, C.G. Finney 2
BELFAST — C.G. Finney supplied a big direct kick score against Genesee Valley/Belfast to start the night at the Rich Sullivan Athletics Complex on Thursday in Belfast. But the response that the hosts in black and gray were able to provide was just as greater.
Down by one near the midway mark, Genesee Valley/Belfast, led by the electrifying Hannah Southwick-Powers, came right back and delivered three straight jabs to the Lady Falcons, two of them coming minutes apart to help close out a strong finish to a first half they ultimately never looked back on, as they evaded some late Lady Falcons pressure to secure a big 4-2 home victory to garner their first win.
“This was a good one to open up with. It was even better to notch four goals,” said GV/Belfast co-coach Lisa Scott-Schneider. “Hannah and Whitney (Young) had some good connections up top to even up the score and go ahead. Abby (Sullivan) delivered some nicely placed corner kicks and Kayla (Wedge) and Jenna (Hill) both got their first career goals. We certainly aren’t where we left off and with people learning new positions, there’s definitely more room to grow. We just have to keep working more on the little things to make the big picture prettier.”
There were plenty of Varsity career firsts to go around for Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-0) to open their new campaign. It would come in the midst of a two-goal night from Southwick-Powers, who opened up the scoring for the hosts with the game-tying goal nearly two minutes after C.G. Finney broke the ice themselves in the opening half, stemming off the first of two Whitney Young passes.
With time beginning to wind down in the opening half, the Genesee Valley/Belfast offense retooled and rebooted their scoring ways with Southwick-Powers’ second marker at the 14:11 mark to take their first lead of the game. It was eventually held for the remainder of the game, with big pieces of insurance coming in the shape of first career Varsity milestones for both Kayla Wedge and Jenna Hill, with Wedge closing out the first half with her marker three minutes after Southwick-Powers gave them the push ahead, scoring on a header dished along by Abby Sullivan.
The Lady Falcons would trim the deficit down to a single goal after Allie Frederickson finished off her two-goal evening, but it would not be enough to tilt the balance of power fully, as Jenna Hill finished off the night’s scoring with four minutes left to play on her first career marker on a boot from 35 yards out to make it a 4-2 game until the end.
All four goals were tallied off 13 total shots by Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they outshot C.G. Finney by a 13-5 count. In goal, Kimme Ball made her first Varsity start in between the pipes and made three saves to book her first career Varsity victory.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is back on the field Saturday night with a return to the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast for a 5 p.m. visit from the Lady Titans of Avoca/Prattsburgh.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Warsaw 3, Fillmore 0
FILLMORE — The Lady Eagles of Fillmore gave powerhouse Warsaw a battle all throughout Thursday’s massive clash inside The Rock, but the visiting Lady Tigers would manage to keep one step ahead of the hosts in green each time, as they came together to ward off a great effort by their opposition to record the straight-set, 25-18, 25-19, 25-16 victory.
Stats for the Lady Eagles (0-1) were not made available to report upon publication.
Fillmore is back on their home court next Friday night, as they begin preparations for a 7:30 p.m. from Wellsville.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Allegany-Limestone 3, Cuba-Rushford 0
CUBA — The Lady Gators of Allegany-Limestone were at the top of their game to spoil Cuba-Rushford’s season opener Friday night in the Wighthouse, as the Section VI powerhouses strolled their way towards straight-set triumph with a 3-0 win over the Lady Rebels.
Set scores and individual statistics were not made available to report upon publication.
The Lady Rebels (0-1) are back on the floor Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. first serve back on their home court against Olean.
Oswayo Valley 3, Hinsdale 0
HINSDALE — The Oswayo Valley Lady Green Wave took full advantage of the opportunity from start to finish on the road in Hinsdale on Friday, as they exited town with a strong 3-0 sweep of the Lady Bobcats.
