By PAUL GOTHAM
Section V Girls’ Soccer will whittle its field over the next two nights as a dozen matches will take place with spots in finals up for grabs.
Seven of those contests will feature head-to-head tilts between state-ranked sides.
Classes C2 and D have all four remaining teams among the best in the state.
Top-seeded and unbeaten Gananda (18-0-0/No. 4 NYSSWA Class C) will take on No. 4 Byron-Bergen (15-3-0/No. 10 NYSSWA Class C) in one C2 semi on Tuesday. Byron-Bergen is the only team to beat Gananda in the past two seasons as the Bees outlasted the then undefeated Blue Panthers in overtime 3-2 in last year’s Class C regional qualifier. That Byron-Bergen team had limited opponents to just three goals in its first 20 games before Gananda’s offense stressed the Bees.
With a backline that includes twin sisters Nicole and Nyah Cruz, the current Gananda squad has posted 11 straight shutouts. Isabella Hoffman (24 goals, 12 assists) and Ella Lathrop (22 goals, 16 assists) lead the Gananda offense.
Byron-Bergen’s Mia Gray ranks second in Section V scoring with 30 goals, 27 assists for 87 points. The sophomore midfielder recently netted the 100th goal of her career. Teammate Mackenzie Hagen has 25 goals and nine assists while Emma Starowtiz has 20 goals and 10 assists.
Ava Gray anchors a defensive corps that has limited opponents to 15 goals. Byron-Bergen’s three losses this season have all been to teams from higher classes: Aquinas (Class A), Our Lady of Mercy (AA) and Nichols (Monsignor Martin Athletic Association – Buffalo). A 6:30 PM start time is scheduled at Pittsford Sutherland, Tuesday night.
On the other side of the C2 bracket, No. 3 Keshequa (16-2-0/No. 12 NYSSWA Class C) will face No. 7. Wheatland-Chili (11-4-3/No. 19 NYSSWA Class C). Ava Thayer (24 goals, 20 assists) and Braelyn Isaman (25 goals, 10 assists) lead a Keshequa team that has won eight straight games and outscored opponents, 47-1 during that stretch. Keshequa won the D1 title last year and advanced to the NYS semifinals.
Wheatland-Chili knocked off No. 2 Naples in the quarterfinals handing the Big Green their second loss of the season. Senior Emily Parker leads the Wildcats with 26 goals and four assists. W-C loss to Byron-Bergen in last year’s C2 finals. Both Keshequa and Wheatland Girls’ Soccer programs have won seven sectional titles. A 6:30 PM kickoff is slated at Warsaw High.
Top-seeded Holley (14-3-0/No. 18 NYSSWA Class C) takes on No. 4 Bloomfield (12-5-1) in one Class C1 semifinal. Holley’s Samantha Bates has 23 goals and nine assists. Holley hasn’t won a sectional title since 1994. Bloomfield has won nine sectional titles but looking for its first since 2008 when it shared the Class C crown with Nazareth Academy. A 7 PM start time is scheduled at Caledonia-Mumford High School on Tuesday. No. 2 Williamson (14-3-0) will face No. 3 Oakfield-Alabama (13-5-0) in the first game of the doubleheader at Cal-Mum. Williamson is looking for its eighth title in program history. A 5 PM start is scheduled.
Top-seeded Haverling (16-1-0/No. 3 NYSSWA Class B) and No. 4 Dansville (12-3-3/No. 16 NYSSWA Class B) highlight the Class B games on Tuesday night. Haverling took both regular season meetings (4-1/2-1) Livingston County Athletic Association foes. Seniors Keegan Smith (20 goals, 13 assists) and Ella Yartym (33 goals, 12 assists) lead the Rams who have won seven straight heading into Tuesday’s matchup. Lola Coots has made 44 saves and allowed six goals over 1,102 minutes in goal this season. Haverling, a state finalist a year ago, has won three straight sectional titles and four overall in program history.
Dansville juniors Baylee Hayes (12 goals, 2 assists) and Megan Tyler (11 goals, 5 assists ) lead the Mustangs. Dansville’s lone sectional title came in 2018. Haverling and Dansville will meet in the second game of a doubleheader at Penn Yan.
No. 3 Mynderse (12-4-2) and No. 7 Livonia (10-5-3) get the action started at Penn Yan with a 5 PM kickoff. Livonia tops all Section V Girls’ Soccer programs with 19 titles. The Bulldogs last won a sectional championship in 2017.
Top-seeded Fillmore (17-0-0/No. 1 NYSSWA Class D) and No. 5 Marion (8-8-2/No. 16 NYSSWA Class D) highlight Wednesday’s action. Twin sisters Grace (24 goals, 36 assists) and Hope (61 goals, 17 assists) Russell pace a Fillmore attack which has outscored opponents, 119-3 this season. The Eagles have allowed just one goal in the past eight games. Preslee Miller has logged 1,240 minutes in goal and made 40 saves for Fillmore. The Eagles have won five sectional titles with their most recent coming in 2021. Fillmore lost to Keshequa in the semis a year ago.
Emily Gushlaw (9 goals, 10 assists) and Hannah Rogiers (8 goals, 8 assists) pace the Marion attack. Senior keeper Mia Hosbach has seven shutouts this season. Marion has won seven sectional titles including three straight from 2017-2019. A 7 PM start is scheduled at Warsaw High, Wednesday night
No. 2 Northstar Christian (15-2-0/No. 9 NYSSWA Class D) and No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast (14-3-1/No. 13 NYSSWA Class D) will battle for the other spot in the D final.
Junior Grace Kearney leads Northstar, looking for its second straight sectional title and fourth in program history, with 32 goals and 17 assists. Allie Skeval has 18 goals and 16 assists. The Knights have won six straight games.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is the only team to score on Fillmore in the past month. Junior Hannah Southwick leads GV/B with 18 goals and nine assists. Ninth-grader Bayleigh Tallman had 12 goals (including the one against Fillmore) and two assists. Northstar and Genesee Valley/Belfast will have a 5 PM kick off at Warsaw.
Webster Schroeder defeated Webster Thomas, 3-1 in mid-September. The crosstown rivals meet at Brockport High on Wednesday this time with a spot in the Class AA finals on the line. The second-seeded Warriors (16-2-0/No. 4 NYSSWA AA) have won nine of their last 10 games. No. 3 Thomas (13-4-0/t-No. 20 NYSSWA AA) has won five straight and seven of eight.
Sasha Zilist (9 goals, 4 assists) and Morgan Tara (7 goals, 11 assists) pace the Schroeder attack. Webster Thomas sophomore Sophie Esders has 23 goals with eight assists. Senior Catherine Rogers accounts for 21 goals and 18 assists. Schroeder is the reigning AA champion. Thomas won three straight titles from 2012-14 and has four overall crowns.
Top-seeded Spencerport (18-0-0/No. 2 NYSSWA Class AA) faces No. 4 Pittsford Mendon (12-2-4) in the first game Wednesday at Brockport High. Spencerport has won seven straight sectional titles all at the Class A level. The Rangers have outscored opponents, 81-2 this season. Senior keeper, Cate Burns has 65 saves. One of the goals she allowed was a penalty kick. Senior center back Kendall Mesh plays a vital role in Spencerport’s defensive efforts. Lindsay Lenhard leads the Spencerport attack with 21 goals and 16 assists. Emma Watson has 11 goals while Emily Peacock and Isabella Fiorillo add nine goals apiece.
Mendon is unbeaten (5 wins, 1 tie) in its past six games and has allowed three goals during that recent stretch. Junior Kate Crowley and senior Leah Muench share the goalkeeping responsibilities. Ninth-grader Jaelyn Rodi leads the Mendon attack with 16 goals to go with four assists. Lily Larimer adds nine goals and nine assists. Charlotte Engin has five goals and 13 assists. Mendon has 11 sectional titles.
The Rangers and Vikings met in the 2021 Class A regional qualifier, a game that Spencerport won.
Aquinas (14-1-2/No. 8 NYSSWA Class A) has won 14 titles (second most in Section V history). The Li’l Irish are looking for their first since 2017. Ninth-grader Sienna Fallone (20 goals, 15 assists) leads an Aquinas offense that outscored opponents, 53-6. Sophomore Bella Muratore has six goals and four assists while Lily Bell adds six markers. Sophomore Talia Norton and junior Molly O’Toole anchor the defense in front of junior keeper, Liz Tantalo. The Li’l Irish’s only loss of the season was a 1-nil decision to Spencerport on September 11th.
Aquinas will have to get past No. 5 Greece Olympia (12-5-0/No. 18 NYSSWA Class A). The Spartans knocked off No. 4 Wayne to reach the semis. Junior Sarah Tawaf leads Olympia with 16 goals and 9 assists. Fellow classmate Hannah Roxstrom adds eight goals and seven assists while Kayla Mattice has seven goals and six assists. Jenna Christensen had 10 goals and 5 assists. Olympia won the 2019 Class B1 title and advanced to the NYS semis. Aquinas and Olympia kick off at 5 PM Wednesday at Spencerport.
In the other Class A semifinal, No. 2 Pittsford Sutherland (11-3-3/No. 13 NYSSWA Class A) will face No. 6 Palmyra-Macedon (12-5-1). Sutherland took a 3-1 decision when these two teams met in the regular season. That was part of a five-game unbeaten stretch (4 wins, 1 tie). The Knights opened the season with four wins and two ties. Senior Meghan Joerger leads Sutherland with 10 goals and 7 assists. Alexandra Bova has 8 goals and 11 assists. The Knights have six sectional titles, the last coming in 1994.
Pal-Mac has won back-to-back titles. Maya Ikewood paces the Red Raider offense with 19 goals and 20 assists. Lillian Boesel has 17 goals and 5 assists. while Reagan Diehl has 10 goals and 13 assists.
Sutherland and Pal-Mac have a scheduled 7 PM start at Spencerport also on Wednesday.
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