By PAUL GOTHAM
AMHERST, N.Y. — Mia Gray’s first opportunity in extra time didn’t find the back of the net.
The second chance, though, extended the season for the Byron-Bergen girls’ soccer team.
Gray ran on to a Grace DiQuattro through ball along the left flank and connected for her team leading 37th goal of the season.
“I knew I had to score,” Gray said after the Bees beat Section VI champion Frewsburg, 2-1 in the New York State Class C Far West Regional Saturday at Williamsville East High School. “I took my touch inside to try and get myself a better angle. The far post looked a little less open, so I went near post.”
The goal clinched Byron-Bergen’s third regional title in four years and subsequent trip to the state semifinals.
“There are not too many other people in the state that I’d rather have the ball on their foot in that situation,” Byron-Bergen head coach Wayne Hill said of Gray. “I’m happy that it came out our way.”
Byron-Bergen and Frewsburg met in 2021 and 2022 state quarterfinals. The Bees also won both of those games.
“Just because we played them those two other years doesn’t mean that we’re going to know going into it,” Hill said. “I told (Frewsburg head coach Scott Stone) Scott one of us has got to start losing in our sectionals because I can’t keep facing him like this.”
Jenna Amesbury snapped a scoreless tie in the 46th minute to give Byron-Bergen the lead. Amesbury converted on a corner kick opportunity for her 19th goal of the season.
Frewsburg responded 16 minutes later.
Taytum Jimerson finished on a counterattack for the equalizer. Ava Jimerson assisted on the play.
Both teams totaled six shots on goal in the second half.
The Bees had a 6-0 advantage in corner kick opportunities over the second stanza.
“Neither team deserved to come out with a loss with this one.” Hill said. “That was too good of a game.”
Gray broke into the open during the first overtime, but her shot rang off the inside post.
A year ago Byron-Bergen won its third straight Section V Class C2 title but lost in the regional qualifier to eventual state finalist, Holley. That defeated motivated this year’s squad.
“That one hurt,” Gray said. “That one hurt a lot. Losing to Holley, since the start of the season people still talk about it. We don’t want to lose any more.
“Coming into this game, we knew we had to come out with the dub. Frewsburg has been here the past four years. They had a lot of pressure on them, donut was about us.”
Byron-Bergen will face either Tuckahoe (I) or Burke Catholic (IX) next Saturday in the state semifinals.
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