Monday Roundup: Lady Lions provide dominant start, evade 3rd set rally by Ark/Can to record sweep; Houghton boys net trio of 2nd half goals to gallop past Alfred-Almond
By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — With a strong season-opening victory over the Lady Eagles of Fillmore to claim their first win of the season, the Lady Lions of Wellsville reverted back home in hopes of keeping the momentum held in their first home game of the season with Arkport/Canaseraga in town for a visit.
From the start to the final serves of the game, the Lady Lions remained in control of their own destiny, using a dominant opening set to set the table against the Lady Wolverines. After going up 2-0, the visitors put together a big rally in the third set to keep the match alive. But Wellsville remained at full strength, as they collected the last two points needed to put an end to the night in straight-set fashion with the 25-12, 25-12, 25-23 victory on Monday.
The first two sets were a mirror image of one another for the Lady Lions (2-0) to grab the 2-0 advantage on Arkport/Canaseraga, as they began with the first five points before the Lady Wolves were able to chip away at the deficit each time, trimming it to as little as one before it was branched back out in a big way.
In the opening set, the Lady Lions strolled away with 10 consecutive points led by the fantastic service of Averee Palmatier from the back line, using it to further cement their lead. In the next, a similar case scenario, as the hosts used their service once again to set the tone against the Lady Lions to build a lead they never looked back on going into the final set.
The Lady Wolves would not go down without one last fight however, as they continued to battle back and forth with Wellsville across the third set. But ultimately, the last two points needed to cap off the stanza were garnered by the Lady Lions to put an end to the battle, as they secured the home-opening victory.
Leading the way was Lindsay Stuck from the service line, as she recorded a team-high nine aces to pair with seven kills. On offense, Natalie Adams provided seven kills to go with a block and one ace. Averee Palmatier chipped in with six kills and five aces, while Alexa Stuck had four more kills. On special teams, Maddy Parks helped set everything up at the front of the net, dishing out a whopping 24 assists.
Wellsville is back on the volleyball court tonight with a 7:30 p.m. trip to Hinsdale to battle the Lady Bobcats.
Warsaw 3, Fillmore 0
WARSAW — Having taken control of their season-opening battle just over a week ago in Fillmore, the Lady Tigers of Warsaw took full advantage once again for the second time in three meetings with the Lady Eagles, as they came out swinging with another straight-set sweep on Monday on their home floor by a 25-18, 25-20, 25-12 count.
Individual statistics for the Lady Eagles (0-3) were not made available to report upon publication.
Fillmore will return to their home floor tonight in a quick turnaround, hosting Bolivar-Richburg at 7 p.m.
Hinsdale at Ellicottville – No report.
BOYS SOCCER
Fillmore 4, Wellsville 0
FILLMORE — The Lions of Wellsville gave everything they had against defending State Champion Fillmore on Monday. Through the first 40 minutes, the playing field was dead even, as both squads raced to halftime after a scoreless midfield battle.
It would rage on through the early stages of the second half, but it was only a matter of time before the ice was broken. The Eagles kept on knocking at the door until Henry Sardina opened it wide open.
All four goals that Fillmore would score in the second half came in the form of an eruption, as Sardina recorded a hat trick — two of the goals coming in a span of just 2:20 in the waning minutes to ensure their lead would remain glued together, as the Eagles floored it to the finish line with a 4-0 shutout of the Lions on their home field.
“We played our game. And Wellsville was very organized defensively. While they didn’t threaten us offensively, they forced us to make some minor adjustments. We missed quite a few chances to get the first, but these types of games are good for us,” Eagles interim coach Jordan Mullen, who stepped in for head coach Jarrett Vosburg, as he prepares to welcome the birth of his second child with his wife, Lindsey. “They challenge us to stay the course, trust in our ability to win the 80 minutes. The only real difference between the first and second half was our ability to complete the play with a finish. We just needed the first to go and the rest would come.”
After a scoreless first half came and went, it was time for Fillmore (3-0) to get to work after Wellsville attempted to limit the attack behind some solid defensive play. The doors would begin to open up however at the 15 minute mark of the second half with Sardina’s first of three goals, as he connected with Zach Sisson to help break the ice.
With one foot now in through the door, the rest would come at the most crucial time of the game. With 10 minutes remaining, the Eagles would break it wide open with the last of Sardina’s goals sandwiched in between a score from Jack Cool, as the hosts finished off the scoring and the victory with three goals in five minutes.
“We broke the seal early in the second and then the confidence came,” Mullen said. “Our players do a really good job of getting goals in bunches. They feed on it. We stayed tight defensively and closed a third consecutive shutout. This one is for Jarrett’s second son, who is coming any second now.”
Eben Schilke would record two assists, while Layton Sanasith provided one of his own to help propel the victory. In goal, Brayden Hennard put a stop to all six Wellsville (1-4) shots he faced to record the shutout. The Lions will return to action back on the road Saturday, visiting Cuba-Rushford at 11 a.m.
Next up for the Eagles is their first big Allegany County League battle of the season on Thursday, playing host to the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg beginning in a 7 p.m. first kick.
Houghton Academy 3, Alfred-Almond 1
HOUGHTON — With a visit to Northstar right around the corner, momentum was needed for Houghton Academy to carry into their first battle with the Knights since defeating them last season in the Semifinal round to advance to the Class D2 Finals.
With Alfred-Almond in town and in the driver’s seat with a 1-0 lead in hand going into the break, the Panthers needed to act fast in the last 40 minutes of play. They would go on to do just that.
And then some.
To counter the opening goal scored by the Eagles just over 10 minutes in, Houghton Academy answered by tripling their response. After Josh Davidson tied the game quickly, Ricky Song did the rest himself on back-to-back goals stemming across a three-minute span later on, as the Panthers broke away from Alfred-Almond’s grasp with a 3-1 home win on Monday.
“The first 10 to 15 minutes was really well played,” Panthers coach Jeff Prentice said. “But in the second half of the first half, they won more 50/50s, they won possession. But we found a way to turn it around in the second half, and we started to control it more. They went out and executed it amazingly for our first game at home. It’s our first win of the season, and I think the guys are more than happy with that.”
At the 12-minute mark, Tighe Grigg was the first to strike for the Eagles, earning the one-goal lead and holding it across the remainder of the first half, and into the break. Although Houghton Academy (1-2-1) was kept on their feet in the first 40 minutes, they would flip the script on Alfred-Almond in the next, beginning with Josh Davidson and his game-tying score just three minutes removed, as he connected with Jack Prentice’s pass into the offensive zone to tie the game.
The rest was laid upon the shoulders of Ricky Song, who allowed Houghton Academy to pull ahead permanently with his back-to-back set of goals coming in a three-minute span near the midway point of the half, extending the Panthers lead to a pair and hanging onto it for the remainder of the game going forward.
Both teams remained within a footstep of one another in the shot department, with the Panthers recording the narrow 11-10 advantage over the Eagles. In goal, Marco Zanini recorded the win behind eight saves.
The Panthers will now head up north tonight for a 5 p.m. opening kick against Northstar.
Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg 5, Hammondsport 4
ANDOVER — Between Hammondsport and host Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg on Monday, a whopping nine goals combined found the back of the net.
Of the nine goals, eight were all scored in the second half of play, with Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg getting the final say from Robert Bradley, who finished off a four-goal, one-assist night on offense with the go-ahead goal across the midway mark of the last period, as the team used their defense to buckle down and hold the visiting Lakers in check until the end in what was a 5-4 home win in Andover.
“The boys played a great game and held on to win. They continue to trend in the right direction and play outstanding soccer,” said AWJT coach Cody Borden. “I thought a lot of the boys played some of their best games of the season tonight. We gave up some late goals, but had a big enough lead to survive. This was a great overall win.”
Before the goals began to rain down like wildfire between both squads, it was initially a 1-0 lead in Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg’s (2-2) favor with 8:29 left to play, as Ronaldo Vasquez broke the game open with his tally off a Robert Bradley helper to earn the 1-0 lead going into the halftime break.
Then, it would begin.
Starting just over two minutes into the second half, eight straight goals between both teams, beginning with a lead extension from Bradley for the hosts off the first of four Brody Vance assists. Just as the lead grew to a pair, Hammondsport would trim it back down to one just 34 seconds later with a marker off the foot of Zach Doyle.
As both teams intertwined and exchanged goals all across the second half, Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg ensured that the victory was theirs just past the 20 minute mark left to play until the end of regulation, when Vance connected with Bradley for his fourth goal of the game to pull the team back ahead once and for all.
When it was all said and done, 38 combined shots were recorded by both teams, with Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg claiming a 23-15 advantage in that department. In goal, Skylar Orpet was busy in between the posts, making nine saves to record the victory.
Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg returns to the field on Thursday back over the road, as they prepare to visit Houghton Academy at 5 p.m.
Canisteo-Greenwood 6, Friendship/Scio 0
CANISTEO — The Canisteo-Greenwood Chargers fired on all cylinders Monday night with Friendship/Scio in town for a visit, as they galloped towards triumph at the end of the night in shutout fashion by scoring a 6-0 home victory.
In-depth statistics for each team were not made available to report upon publication.
Friendship/Scio (0-5) is back on the field Wednesday night in Scio, as they prepare to host Lima Christian in a 5 p.m. first kick.
GIRLS SOCCER
Fillmore 8, Wellsville 0
WELLSVILLE — The Fillmore Lady Eagles have organized one of the hottest starts to the 2023 campaign thus far. Through their first four games, they have been immaculate on all angles, while the offense fed off the brilliant defense in return.
On Monday, they went over the road to visit the Lady Lions of Wellsville and at the end of the night, they would make it five straight games out of the gate behind another four-goal night from Hope Russell, along with two goals and four assists from Grace Russell, as the Lady Eagles stormed off to a 6-0 halftime lead and never looked back on what was an 8-0 shutout in the Lion’s Den.
The scoring for Fillmore (5-0) would begin immediately within the first 10 minutes of play, when Hope Russell recorded a first half hat trick in just seven minutes, collecting three straight passes from her sister, Grace Russell to grab a 3-0 lead on the Lady Lions right away.
More damage was applied by Grace Russell herself later on in the period, as Hope repaid the favor with her two assists sandwiched in between a Montana Gayford score off a pass dished along by Amelia Rose, helping branch the lead to six.
The scoring would conclude with Hope’s fourth goal of the contest coming just three minutes into the second half off the fourth Grace Russell assist, while Ryleigh Goodliff found the back of the Wellsville (2-2-1) net off a Grace Clark pass with 10 minutes left in play to close it up.
In all, the Lady Eagles recorded 18 total shots against the Lady Lions, scoring an 18-5 advantage in shots. Preslee Miller went on to make all five stops for the visitors in white, while Lydia Kaye made 10 saves for the hosts in black, who have a quick turnaround at Bolivar-Richburg, tonight at 5 p.m.
Fillmore heads back home to host C.G. Finney this weekend, as they prepare for a 7 p.m. kick on Saturday.
Andover/Whitesville 1, Arkport/Canaseraga 0
WHITESVILLE — A penalty kick is a prime opportunity that doesn’t come around all too often in the game of soccer. But when it does, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Minimal time remained on the clock until halftime. Facing pressure to try and kick it into high gear, Andover/Whitesville went on to draw a big call inside the Arkport/Canaseraga box to try and break a first half-long scoreless tie. Winning the election to take the kick was Graci Lewis-Ellison.
And with it, she knocked it away with complete ease, as she helped give Andover/Whitesville their first win of the season in style while using the defense to keep Arkport/Canaseraga at a frozen standstill across the last 40 minutes to secure a 1-0 shutout on their home field in Whitesville, Monday night.
“The girls really had to work hard tonight to get this result,” Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady said. “Arkport/Canaseraga is tough, and coach (Bill) Horn does a great job getting his girls ready to play. Their counter-attack was really good, and it put a lot of pressure on us, but the defense was able to get the right stops at times. Olivia (Waters) had a great game in goal and made some huge saves. Brynna (Gaylord) did well to earn a PK for us, and Graci stepped up with confidence and converted. This was a good team win, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Lewis-Ellison’s icebreaking marker came at the 10:47 mark on the clock until the break, when the Andover/Whitesville (1-3) attack was fouled inside the box by the Lady Wolves to set up a humongous opportunity to provide a big crack into the ice. With it, the Andover/Whitesville junior, without hesitation, knocked the ball into the back of the Arkport/Canaseraga net to claim the game’s first lead.
One that would be held by the hosts all game long, despite some added pressure down the stretch.
Despite the defeat, Arkport/Canaseraga outshot Andover/Whitesville on the frontlines by a 9-5 count. In goal, Olivia Waters made all nine stops supplied by the Lady Wolves to help record the team’s first win via shutout.
Up next, Andover/Whitesville will head over the hill and into Andover, where they will face undefeated Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 6 p.m. first kick on Friday.
GIRLS TENNIS
Lady Lions take two from Canisteo-Greenwood, move to 4-0 to start season
CANISTEO — The Lady Lions of Wellsville were not only in the mood to take one, but also to take both of their Monday night matches against host Canisteo-Greenwood, as they used strong play across all three singles matches, along with two different teams at first doubles to help lay claim on 5-0 and 4-1 wins over the Lady Chargers over the road.
In the first match, Wellsville saw Sam Bidzerkowny and Sarah Mattison (10-0), along with Hanna Miles (10-2) garner victories in their singles matches, while the first doubles team of Meagan Riley and Caitlin Bittel worked in a 10-3 victory of their own over Canisteo-Greenwood’s McKenzie Clark and Serenity Sanford. The second doubles team of McKenna Wonderling and Kelsey Seely would help wrap up the victory with a 10-1 win of their own.
The momentum continued into the second match, when the Lady Lions (4-0) saw Riley, Mattison and Seely take over shop once more to clinch match victory in all three singles contests, scoring wins of 10-1, 10-0 and 10-7 respectively. To help cap off the doubleheader sweep, the first doubles team of Wonderling and Bidzerkowny raced towards a 10-3 win.
The Lady Chargers would wind up getting their first win between both matches, as the second doubles team of Bailey Heisel and Amelia Stewart scored a 10-4 win over Wellsville’s Peyton Cawley and Jaiden Edwards.
The home opener for the Lady Lions is now upon the horizon, as they now return home to welcome in the Wayland-Cohocton Lady Eagles for a 5 p.m. first serve on Thursday.
Match 1
Singles
1. Sam Bidzerkowny (WLSV) def. Aaliyah Tigner (C-G), 10-0.
2. Sarah Mattison (WLSV) def. J. Minch (C-G), 10-0.
3. Hanna Miles (WLSV) def. Alli Jackson (C-G), 10-2.
Doubles
1. Meagan Riley/Caitlin Bittel (WLSV) def. McKenzie Clark/Serenity Sanford (C-G), 10-3.
2. McKenna Wonderling/Kelsey Seely (WLSV) def. Amelia Stewart/Bailey Heisel (C-G), 10-1.
Match 2
Singles
1. Meagan Riley (WLSV) def. Aaliyah Tigner (C-G), 10-1.
2. Sarah Mattison (WLSV) def. J. Minch (C-G), 10-0.
3. Kelsey Seely (WLSV) def. Alli Jackson (C-G), 10-7.
Doubles
1. Sam Bidzerkowny/McKenna Wonderling (WLSV) def. Serenity Sanford/McKenzie Clark (C-G), 10-3.
2. Bailey Heisel/Amelia Stewart (C-G) def. Peyton Cawley/Jaiden Edwards (WLSV), 10-4.
Addison 4, Fillmore 1
ADDISON — It was not easy by any means, but a complete sweep of all three singles assisted in Addison’s propelling into the win column on Monday, cruising towards a triumphant conclusion with a 4-1 home victory over the visiting Lady Eagles of Fillmore.
After a hard-fought sweep of all three singles matches saw Addison clinch the overall match victory, the Lady Eagles did see a big positive out of the action on the court come to light. The second doubles team of Kirra Bentley and Lena Tucker were forced into a big tiebreaker with Addison’s Kaylee Keech and Tayona Tormey.
With the score even, Bentley and Tucker fought tooth and nail to ensure that they wound up recording their first Varsity victory, taking down their visiting opposition in style.
The Lady Eagles are back at it on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. road trip to Wayland-Cohocton.
Singles
1. Alex Boutelle (ADD) def. Claire Schilke (FIL), 10-7.
2. Katharine Ames (ADD) def. Molly Mahoney (FIL), 10-3.
3. Sadie Strauss (ADD) def. Spencer Hopkins (FIL), 10-6.
Doubles
1. Katie McNeil/Jessi Balance (ADD) def. Kira Morley/Indigo Knapp (FIL), 10-1.
2. Kirra Bentley/Lena Tucker (FIL) def. Kaylee Keech/Tayona Tormey (ADD), 10-9 (5).
