By PAUL GOTHAM
Pat Stevenson was five years removed from her time as a student at SUNY Brockport when then-Spencerport Athletic Director Ron Broadbent tabbed the Bath, New York native as the first head coach of Spencerport Girls’ Soccer.
Five decades later, Stevenson’s 1973 squad holds its place in history.
The ’73 Rangers claimed a league title and went on to win the first Section V Girls’ Soccer Championship.
“All the kids and parents were so excited to be a part of something,” Stevenson said by phone from her home in Pinehurst, North Carolina. “It was just such an exciting time.”
Spencerport will honor that 1973 team on its 50th anniversary as part of a three-day event this weekend.
“I’ve just spent several weeks pulling out all the memorabilia that I’ve saved, all the articles,” Stevenson said. “I’ve been re-visiting 1973, ‘74 and ‘75. Those were special times.”
One year after Title IX legislation opened opportunities to girls’ interscholastic sports, Spencerport played an eight-game regular season against a handful of teams around the region before winning three post-season matches to claim the only title contested that year.
The following season Section V teams competed for Class A and Class B crowns. Later this year, more than 90 girls’ soccer teams will compete for championships in seven different classifications with state titles at six different levels up for grabs after that.
“I left and watched it take off throughout all of Section V and the country,” Stevenson said. “Girls going on to play Division I. It’s been exciting to watch.”
After playing an intramural schedule the season prior, the 1973 Rangers finished the regular season with a record of 6 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie and went on to beat Geneseo and Canisteo to reach the sectional finals.
“We weren’t playing the schedule like teams have now,” said Stevenson.
In the finals, Spencerport edged Alfred-Almond, 1-0 to claim the first Section V Girls’ Soccer title.
“Those girls had been playing; they were very skilled, very talented,” said Stevenson who mentioned team leaders Laurie Boughter, Heather Brendel Evans and Donna Pucci. “The girls did it all. I was just trying to guide them along.”
Seven years later, Stevenson’s 1980 team shared the Class A title with Hilton in a game that was played in front of more than one thousand fans. That year Section V teams competed at three different classifications. The state tournament started three years after that with champions crowned in Class A, B, C and D.
“I began to realize in the late 70s and into the 80s that we had started something really special.”
Stevenson’s teams put the foundation in place for a program that has gone on to win two state and 10 sectional titles including seven-straight Section V Class A championships heading into this season.
“I’m a big person on tradition,” said current Spencerport head coach Jamie Schneider. “When you can look back on a milestone of 50 years of Spencerport girls’ soccer, it’s fun to see all the players and coaches that have been a part of the program. It’s an honor to be a part of the program.”
A year ago both the boys’ and girls’ Spencerport teams advanced to the state semifinals.
The 2023 girls’ team has a record of 9-0-0. The Rangers have outscored opponents by a combined total of 42-1.
“Sports obviously play a big role in Spencerport and the area,” Schneider said. “Soccer in Spencerport, though, it’s a little extra special because of the popularity and success it’s had on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. You can see how invested the community has been with it. That adds to the tradition of how highly people think of it.”
The weekend starts with a meet and greet Thursday evening at Clutch on the Canal in Spencerport and continues Friday with a private breakfast in the morning and dinner later in the day for team members and families of the 1973 Rangers. Saturday’s festivities include a youth soccer clinic in the morning and the ceremony at 2:30 to be held between the junior varsity and varsity games. Spencerport will host Brighton.
“I can’t wait to meet Jamie Schneider in person,” Stevenson said. “We’ve face-timed. We’ve zoomed. We’ve talked on the phone. He’s just such a wonderful young man. He’s done a fabulous job. It makes me feel so good to see the program and how far he’s taken it. It is just phenomenal. I’m so proud of him and his players. It would almost be the pride of a mother hen.”
Thursday, September 28th
Meet and greet for all Spencerport Girls’ Soccer Alumni
Location: Clutch on the Canal, 94 S Union St Spencerport NY 14559, second level
Time: 5:30 PM
Friday, September 29th
Morning: Private breakfast gathering for team members and families of the 1973 team
Evening: Private dinner celebration for team members and families of the 1973 team
Spencerport Varsity Girls at Gates Chili High School, 7 PM
Saturday, September 30th: Soccer Bonanza
10:00 am – Soccer clinic for youth
12:30 Spencerport JV Girls vs. Brighton
2:30 Ceremony to honor 1973 Team and All Alumni of Spencerport Girls’ Soccer
4:00 Spencerport Varsity Girls vs. Brighton
Location: Rangers Stadium
Immediately following the varsity game there will be a celebration of all Spencerport Girls’ Soccer
Alumni in the Spencerport High School cafeteria.
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