See more photos by Chris Cecere here
By TIM IRVING
Greece Athena senior Ashley Accorso had no intentions of playing this season. An off-season injury had her convinced that she’d be cheering from the sidelines as the team manager.
“She’s on the roster, a captain but she decided she was gonna ride it out, support the team from the sidelines,” coach Jeremiah Bergan said. “Last week, she said what about the senior game? She had enough practices in and said, hey, what about Brockport?”
Bergan’s Trojans were mired in a two-game slump and he decided to play her.
Coaching genius.
Accorso’s Rudy story came to life when she knocked in the game-winning goal with 9:28 to go in a 2-1 victory over the Blue Devils.
Though the first half was even, Brockport found their attack in with 12 minutes to play and drew a corner kick. Natalie Cuzzupoli sent the corner to Nadia Nealon and the junior headed home the only goal of the half.
“Our first half was not up to par and I let the girls know that, “ Bergan said. “They stepped it up.
With 25 minutes to play, sophomore Wrianna Hudson worked her way through the Blue Devils’ defense and whistled a shot wide.
A minute later, Hudson weaved her way through again, Brockport keeper Emma Sodoma came out and Hudson went around her and deposited the ball in the empty net for the equalizer.
“You watch her play and it almost looks like she’s gliding out there. “ Bergan said of Hudson. “Her character though, above all else, she’s just a great, great kid.”
That became obvious with under ten minutes to play. It started in transition where defender Julie Welling sent Abby Ranalletta running up the right side. Her cross was just out of the reach of a sliding Accorso. Hudson wasn’t in position to get off a good shot, so she slid the ball back in front, where Accorso settled and finished for her first goal of the season.
Bergan said it best, “You can’t write it. That’s what was supposed to happen.”
The Athena (9-4) victory atoned a loss to the Blue Devils (10-2-1) by the same score in Brockport in September.
The Trojans continue a tough stretch continues Saturday when they host another 10-2 team in Brighton.
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