By TIM IRVING
During the regular season, Hilton and Penfield girls’ soccer split their two games, the Cadets winning the most recent game on October 6th, 4-0.
So, despite the Patriots being the top ranked team in Class AA Sectionals, very little separated the two squads when they met in the semifinals at Spencerport Wednesday.
After going through regulation and two golden-goal overtimes scoreless, Hilton won penalty kicks 4-3 to advance to the championship game Saturday against Webster Schroeder.
Hilton freshman keeper Sierra Bianchi made a couple of big saves during regulation and Penfield senior keeper Emma Buckley also put up a wall.
In the first overtime, the Cadets thought they’d won the game off a rebound oN a corner kick but offsides was called and the game continued.
In the second overtime, Patriots star midfielder Delaney Tellex hit a free kick just over the cross bar and the game went to penalty kicks.
“There were a lot of momentum swings. You’ve gotta hand it to Penfield, that’s a very good team but it’s typical soccer, right? One minute, you’re flying high, the next minute you’re backing up and trying to do what you can do to stay in the match,” Hilton coach Rick Trabold said.
Hilton’s final penalty shooter, Delaney Goodenow, converted her kick.
Bianchi earned her sixth shutout of the season for Hilton (9-8-1) and her second in a row after a 1-0 win over Victor in the quarterfinals. “She’s awesome. She’s done a great job. This is a special team. A young group, they work hard and they’re together and they’re friendly with each other, supportive of each other. It’s all good stuff, “ Trabold said.
The Cadets won the only other match against Webster Schroeder, another of Bianchi’s shutouts, a 1-0 victory on September 22nd.
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