Loss ends a 59-game unbeaten streak.
By PAUL GOTHAM
AMHERST, N.Y. — This time there was no postgame celebration.
The unbeaten run of the Spencerport girls’ soccer team came to an end Saturday evening on the field at Williamsville East High School.
Emma Payne netted a pair of second-half goals, and Section VI champion Clarence defeated the reigning state champion Rangers, 2-0 in the New York State Class AA Far West Regional.
The loss ended two streaks. Spencerport (18-1-1) had gone unbeaten in 59 straight games dating back to the 2022 season when the Rangers played to a draw with New Hartford (III) in the state semifinals. New Hartford eventually advanced on PKs. That Spencerport team finished 16-1-4 on the season including 15-0-3 to close the campaign. Spencerport had also won seven straight regional titles dating back to 2016 (there was no state tournament in 2020).
“I’m really proud of their effort all-year long,” Spencerport head coach Jamie Schneider said. “They found a lot of success and had a great year, so we’re super-proud of them.
“It’s difficult to lose a regional to get you to a final four. That will hurt for a while, but they have a lot to be proud of. We’ll feel better in a couple of days.”
Payne snapped a scoreless tie in the 53rd minute when the ninth-grade forward drew the ball back along the right flank just outside the 18-yard box and let go with a left-footed blast that landed in the opposite side netting.
Payne added to the lead 14 minutes later when she scored on a rebound in front of the Spencerport net.
“These girls, I can’t say enough about how hard they have worked all year and how hard they’ve been together all year through the off-season to now,” said Clarence head coach Mike Silverstein. “They deserve this, and I’m so happy for them.”
The win was the 16th straight for the Red Devils (19-1-0) who have five shutouts in the past six games including a 2-0 win over Lockport in the sectional final.
“They’re stud-loaded up top,” Silverstein said of Spencerport. “We had to play well defensively. To put up a zero against that team is amazing.”
Silverstein took a page out of the Hilton playbook. The Cadets gave Spencerport everything it could handle in the Section V final. A match that Spencerport won in the final minute of regulation on a Julia Maloney goal.
“I watched that game three times,” Silverstein said. “Hilton was very competitive. I thought they controlled some of the game. We just wanted to do the same thing they did but get numbers forward. That was what we tried to do, to get the ball and get in transition.
“We were subbing our wings a lot to try and keep that pace up on the wing, so we didn’t just sit defensively. You know what, it came to fruition. Emma had a phenomenal shot and got us on the board. The second goal was the same thing, work rate.”
It did appear that Spencerport had taken the lead less than 10 minutes into the game when Lindsay Lenhard scored on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. The goal was disallowed after it was ruled the referee had not initiated play with a whistle.
The sequence came after a discussion between the lead referee and sideline official as to whether the previous play should result in a penalty kick or not. That ruling also did not go in Spencerport’s favor.
“We know calls come and go,” Schneider said. “That one is a double because we thought it was a different call at first, and then we scored and it was called back.
“Give Clarence credit. They played well and congratulations to them.”
Clarence will play Albertus Magnus (I) next Saturday in the state semifinals. A 5 p.m. kickoff is scheduled at Tompkins Cortland Community College.
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