The other charity work is by Jessi-Ann Bettcher of Brewster, whose story I detailed in a Sunday feature (and linked to yesterday). She’s created an organization called Jessie’s Goal: Sudden Death, Not in Any Game, which pushes for heart tests for varsity athletes. It argues that a routine test that is not currently administered could save lives of athletes with heart defects. She joined with CARE, another heart health organization, on a free screening initiative at last Saturday’s Maggie Dixon Basketball Classic at Madison Square Garden. I didn’t mention it in my feature because it had already happened and wasn’t specifically relevant to Jessi-Ann’s recovery. But I know this has become a big cause of hers after her transplant and the Dec. 8 event will surely not be the last. Go to careforhearts.org read an interview with her about her ordeal and charity work.

While I was away, The Journal News issued its all-star (for Westchester/Putnam) and all-county (for Rockland) sections. In case anyone didn’t see them, you can link to them below. Congratulations to Will Ogden, who received not only all-star player of the year honors but was also named Westchester/Putnam athlete of the season, meaning he made the most impact of anyone in any sport.

Boys soccer all-star

Boys soccer all-county

Girls soccer all-star

Girls soccer all-county

To view the entire all-star and all-county sections, go to the Varsity Central website at lohud.com/vc and click the icons in the upper right corner.

I want to add one more link as well, which is my story on Brewster soccer player Jessi-Ann Bettcher. Bettcher came back from a heart transplant to play varsity this year. It’s an amazing story and was a real pleasure to write. Some of you may not have seen it because it ran on the front page, not the sports section. You can read it here.

You can’t say enough about what Amanda DaCosta has done in her freshman year. And I thought she made a huge leap from junior to senior year of high school. Turns out that was chump change.

If you want to see her progress for yourself, turn on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. Sunday. The championship game against USC is airing live.

A special congrats to Steph Reimer of Suffern, Amy Marron of Westlake, Amy Wagner of Briarcliff, and Cate Crenson of North Salem, who all made first team in their respective classes.

At the same time we have to pick our all-stars for fall sports. A lot of thought goes into these picks because we know how seriously some kids take them. We produce a massive all-star section for every fall sport that comes out Sunday, Dec. 9.

With the help of some observant coaches I chose the girls soccer all-stars, which are basically the top 11 players on either side of the river. Rockland gets its own top 11, and Westchester/Putnam gets its. There’s also an all-star second team and an honorable mention list. Some of the selections are obvious. Some are agonizing. There’s always one or two kids you wish you had extra spots for. I just hope the ones who make our short list realize how much we respect their game to put them on there.

Josh Thomson, another reporter, made the final decisions for the boys team. Because Rod handled boys soccer for most of the year, Josh was put in a tough spot when he was given this duty. But I know he leaned heavily on the coaches and got a lot of recommendations from Rod. I bet his choices reflect the section’s consensus very closely.

It got me thinking about colleges and where this year’s crop of high school seniors is going. If anyone knows a local kid, boy or girl, that’s playing at the next level please let us know. We keep a list of everyone who commits.

Greeley was probably the most physically gifted team I saw all year. The Quakers had size all over the field and almost everybody was fast, even the taller girls. The girls up front were superior ball strikers and Courtney Miller used her head like a surgeon on corner kicks. They overwhelmed a lot of opponents with that talent.

Briarcliff was the most disciplined. Everybody knew their roles and executed flawlessly, never overextending themselves or breaking formation. It really was amazing how many opposing coaches praised them after losing to them.

I propose these two teams meet in a park somewhere and go at it for the Best in Westchester title. I’ll ref it for free.

One last note on Greeley’s postgame comments that have stirred so much chatter. I honestly don’t think anyone was spitting on Arcadia by saying Greeley was the better team. The Quakers were obviously very confident in themselves — if you want to say too confident you could make a case — and hadn’t even played badly. They thought they had had a shot to win the title. Fifteen minutes after the loss, which is when I interviewed them, they were still frustrated at not having executed very well around either net. No one said they got ripped off. They knew they lost fair and square. That’s soccer — sometimes you play pretty well and lose. They were mad at themselves for losing to a team they felt they could have beaten.

Greece Arcadia did what it had to do to win. Whether it was better or not is irrelevant. It won. The players and certainly Coach Tracy understand that. Hundreds of losing teams kick themselves every day thinking they should have won. It shouldn’t be any better or worse to say what’s already on your mind.

I don’t want to come off as a Greeley apologist here, because I have no connection to the coach and players other than the fact that they were always helpful to me, but I think their feelings are a result of frustration at themselves, not sour grapes.

“First off, I want to congratulate Byram Hills on a state championship. It’s a tremendous accomplishment.  

     Now, on the game…The combination of precipitation on Friday and Saturday, and the volume of play on the field made for a soccer game that looked a lot like slip n’ slide.

     The field conditions made Will Ogden’s goal even more impressive than it otherwise would have been. He dribbled probably 30 yards all told and beat two defenders in the process, quite a feat considering the field could have doubled as a mud wrestling pit in certain spots.

     I’m usually not one to criticize referees. I understand they have a hard job, especially when the game is as big as a state final. But the officiating in this game was poor, and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t mention it here. I don’t think either team had an advantage because of the refereeing, but I got the sense that, because the calls were so inconsistent, the players were not sure which fouls would be called and which would be let go. 

     Like I wrote in yesterday’s blog, every player I spoke to on Byram Hills said after losing in the Class A final last year, anything less than the state title would be a disappointment. Neither Byram Hills or its raucous fans left Oneonta disappointed.”  

Byram’s superman struck again, scoring in the 18th minute to lead the Bobcats over Section 2’s Burnt Hills 1-0 in the battle of the Hills. Eric Lebowitz tells me it was also coach Matt Allen’s 100th win. State championship—not a bad place to get it.

Eric is driving back from Oneonta now but when he gets back he’ll have much more on this game. In the meantime, congrats to the Bobcats on joining Briarcliff’s girls soccer, Rye’s field hockey, and Hen Hud and Haldane volleyball as state champions.

The Bears, some of whom entered high school two-and-a-half months ago, are on top of the soccer mountain. It took overtime but they beat Marcellus 2-1 yesterday at Tompkins-Cortland Community College to cement their legacy as one of the best groups ever to win a Class B crown. That may sound like overdramatization, especially since I’ve never seen another Class B champion, but how many of those do you think went undefeated, outscored opponents by 93 goals along the way, and beat another undefeated team in the title game. Not many, I’m pretty sure about that. That makes Briarcliff one of the best.

For much of the first half it was Marcellus on the verge of inserting itself into history. The Mustangs, unbeaten and hardly scored upon—four goals allowed all year—took it to the Bears initially. Everyone, not just the defenders but everyone, was desperately trying to protect keeper Chelsea Bodansky. After a few misses it was only a matter of time before Marcellus scored, which it did late in the half.

But Briarcliff’s resilience was what won this game. Off the top of my head I can think of two prior occasions this year had Briarcliff trailed: a 5-4 win over Byram Hills and a 8-4 win over Westlake. Both times they posted gigantic second halves. I wasn’t sure how they’d react being down against a defense like Marcellus. Within minutes of the first goal they’d dusted themselves off and tied it. I think the Mustangs were taken aback by how quickly their impenetrable defense was exploited. After all, they hadn’t seen a goal get past keeper Lauren Fletcher in 12 games—a month and a half. Fletcher, a star volleyball player, was excellent yesterday as well. Just not perfect. As soon as that ball got by her Marcellus was thrown off its game. Briarcliff seized the chance and controlled the action from there on out. Jane Wallis was a big part of that. I thought she played her best game of states.

Liana Cornacchio scored the winner on a header in the first OT period. She was a force of nature all day. People were oohing and ahing in the press box. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the following conversation recently:

Person: “That No. 31 is goood. She playing in college somewhere?”

Me: “She’s a freshman.”

Person: “Are you serious?”

Me: “Yeah, their whole front line are freshman.”

Person (turning toward someone else): “Hey, did you know those girls are all freshmen? Can you believe that? Boy, they’re going to be good.”

 Well I got news for you, Character I Just Made Up, they’re already damn good. Cornacchio in particular elevated her game in playoffs. She scored in five of seven games, including the winner in the state final and semifinal, and was named Most Outstanding Player. Numerous people really did marvel over her and Danielle Christiano and Savina Reid and even the sophs.

I hate to say it, because it means I’ll be in Siberia…er, Cortland…again, but Briarcliff is probably returning to a final four soon. Of course I said that about North Rockland two years ago when a bunch of sophomores went to the title game. That group graduated without making it out of the section again. So even as everyone else sings their praises, Briarcliff’s underclassmen have to both appreciate what they just accomplished and not take the future for granted.

Captain Amy Wagner heads seven departing seniors. Kira Pancotti, Ali Vitali, Molly Kadish, Chelsea Bodansky, birthday girl Megan Hewett, and Lindsay Stoffer are also leaving. Although I hear AD Chris Drosopolous is cooking their grades so they fail and have to come back next year.

“I got up nice and early to go watch Byram Hills play Sayville for the right to play in the Class A final this morning.

Byram Hills fell behind 1-0 early, but they didn’t panic and scored the game-tying goal minutes later. Coach Matt Allen and senior captain Stephen Paresi both pointed to the fact that the Bobcats had trailed in numerous games throughout the playoffs and were therefore able to stay calm in today’s game.

     I was particularly impressed with Paresi’s play. Coming into the game I almost expected to see Section 1 MVP Will Ogden do something big, because, after all, he is the Section MVP.

     Odgen didn’t disappoint, as he scored the game-winner in the second half. But Paresi’s ability to control and distribute the ball, especially in the first hall, was remarkable. I was watching the game with a reporter from Newsday who remarked that Paresi’s first half was the best half he had seen any player have all season.

     Everyone I spoke to from Byram Hills talked about wanting to get back to the state final, and win it, after losing the game last year. Obviously setting the goal of winning a state championship before the season leaves a lot of room to be disappointed in anything less, but now the Bobcats are just one game away from the title.

     I’m still trying to figure out how Blind Brook lost its game. It’s not that the team played badly. In fact, the Trojans dominated most of the game.

     They held a 1-0 lead until midway through the second half, and they certainly could have had more than just that one goal. I don’t think Blind Brook ever expected to give up a goal, and when it happened they seemed a little shell-shocked. I should also mention a fantastic save senior goalie Harris Brett made in the first half, diving to his left to deflect a shot wide. That was probably Marathon’s best chance up until it scored the equalizer.

     When I called a newspaper in Ithaca to do some advance scouting on Marathon before heading up to Oneonta, a reporter told me the Section 4 champs had a midfielder named Eric Gofgosky who wasn’t necessarily a star player, but had a knack for scoring big goals.

     Lo and behold, Gofgosky scores a golden goal just 38 seconds into overtime, ending Blind Brook’s season.”

In the girls Class B final, Liana Cornacchio has scored her second goal of the game, with 3:42 left in ther first overtime, to give Briarcliff a 2-1 victory over Marcellus. Briarcliff trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Cornacchio scored early in the second half to tie it.

For those planning to make the trip to Cortland tonight or tomorrow, note that Saturday’s game will NOT be at SUNY Cortland as originally scheduled. It’s now at Tompkins-Cortland CC, or TC3 as everybody around here calls it. SUNY is hosting a football game, even though Richie Leaf, the head of Section 1 officials who was here to watch the game, told me SUNY Cortland football lost something like 40-0 last week. I just pray the CC has a press box like SUNY. I went to field level for 15 minutes today for post-game interviews and felt like I was climbing Everest. Minus the glory. As my old friend Jamaican Joe said every 30 seconds, “It is sooo cold.” Except he used to say it at 45 degrees. Today was legitimately below freezing, with awful winds blowing snow in everyone’s faces. What a great day to play soccer!

Both games were closely contested. Greeley couldn’t take advantage of a few chances while its opponent did. I was surprised how universally the Quakers felt like they were the better team, and how Greece Arcadia was not the best team they’ve seen. I agree they were better, though not by a lot. Coach Erin Tracy said they were too relaxed. A couple others thought they might have been overconfident. One of the Arcadia players who had seen Greeley at a Thursday banquet said they looked too sure of themselves. Hard to blame them. Greeley was a great team. I’ll have a retrospective on them in a day or two once things settle.

As for Briarcliff, the Bears finally played a close game. Livonia, the defending Class B state champ, had opportunities to take a first-half lead. The Bears started amping up the pressure after halftime. Even though the only goal of the game was an own-goal, it happened because they kept the ball near Livonia’s net for a long sequence until a Bulldog defender made a mistake. As I emphasize in my story, it was much more the kind of win I saw from the 2006 Bears, not the 2007 Bears. Good for them adapting to the opponent and the horrendous weather. At this stage, mental toughness is a big part of the game.

As they were winning the other B semifinal was going into OT. It came down to penalty kicks, where Marcellus of Section 3 prevailed 3-0. Marcellus won state titles in 2004 and 2005. From the little I saw of them, Briarcliff should be considered the favorite.

Be back later.

Both girls teams are ranked third, as you can see here.

All games at National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta
Saturday, Nov. 17

Class A
Byram Hills vs. Sayville (Section 11), 9 a.m.

Class C
Blind Brook vs. Marathon (Section 4), 11:15 a.m

Sunday, Nov. 18

Class A championship, 11 a.m.
Class C championship, 12:20 a.m.

The weather is supposed to be crummy, with rain and snow. Briarcliff’s athletic secretary told me there are no contingency plans as of now if the conditions are too bad to play in.

I should have internet access at SUNY Cortland, so I’ll be updating scores periodically on the blog.

Friday, Nov. 16

Class AA

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

Saturday, Nov. 17

Class AA

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

“I know it’s hard to lose a game but it’s even more difficult in
the closing minutes. I watched Hastings come together after the loss and while they were disappointed, nobody acted out or started throwing things and it’s was refreshing to see them take their losses like men. Coach Fred Sandhop was encouraging the team with hugs and pats on the back and although it obviously wasn’t the way they wanted it to end they showed class and pride. They made school history with this season and the Yellow Jackets have nothing to hang their heads about. They played right down to the final minutes with one of the best teams in the state and almost pulled it off.

A simple analogy for the Byram Hills game against Cornwall would be a boxing match. In this match you had Byram Hills which was the champion who had tons of power and was regarded as the heavy favorite meanwhile Cornwall was known as the counter puncher and underdog. Early on Cornwall gave Byram Hills some fits with it’s countering ability. They kept Byram Hills missing with solid defense and they frustrated the champs. But just watching you knew it was only a matter of time before Byram Hills would pick up on what Cornwall was doing and score the knockout and that’s exactly what they did in the second half. Byram Hills made some adjustments, and Will Ogden was clearly the beneficiary of them with his hat trick performance and after about the second goal you could see that Cornwall no longer wanted continue. Byram Hills is a very talented team and they’re back in Oneonta as they set out before the start of the season.”

Byram Hills and Blind Brook won and will travel to Oneonta for Saturday state semifinals. I’ll get back to you on the times for those games. Section 1 put two teams in the final four last year too, Byram being one of them. Will Ogden is a familiar name, and he was at it again yesterday, scoring a hat trick in a 4-0 win over Cornwall. Hastings lost 2-1 to Spackenkill. Justin Jones will have accounts of those games later.

For more on Blind Brook’s 2-1 win over Southold, here’s Eric Lebowitz:

“I was out in Coram on Long Island yesterday to watch Blind Brook win the Class C New York State Southeast region by beating section 11 champion Southold 2-1. The Trojans now advance to the final four in Oneonta next weekend.

     Blind Brook took a few minutes to settle in, but when they did, the Trojans dominated the game.

     They took a 1-0 lead into halftime on a goal by Brett Paterno and extended that lead to 2-0 just over a minute into the second half on a 45-yard free kick goal by David Levinson.

     Probably the only negative Blind Brook has to address is that it has let teams back into recent games after taking early leads.

     In the sectional final against Valhalla the Trojans led 2-0 before surrending a late goal. Valhalla also missed a late penalty kick in that game. They allowed Millbrook to tie the regional semifinal at 2-2 after leading 2-0 but would go on to win that game as well.

     And against Southold, the section 11 champs, Blind Brook surrendered a goal just a minute after going up 2-0.

     Nevertheless, this is a team with 15 returning seniors and experience playing in big games. Blind Brook has not allowed any of the goals it has given up shake its confidence, and I actually never felt they were in any real danger of losing the game against Southold.

     Just two wins from a state championship, Blind Brook has to make sure it doesn’t let down if it gets a lead in Oneonta. After all, the Trojans will be taking on the best Class C has to offer in New York State. If they can avoid that one pitfall, the Trojans might just win the whole thing.”

For those who haven’t heard, both Briarcliff and Greeley won and advanced to next weekend’s final four at SUNY Cortland. The semifinals are Friday—Greeley is 9:30 a.m. (ugh) and B’cliff is 12:30 p.m.—and finals, if they make it, are Saturday. Why make the first game so early? Some ref got a hot lunch date to keep?

Both teams deserved to win today, with Briarcliff looking especially good. The Bears have state title written all over them. They throttled Burke Catholic, which came in with one loss. The 2-1 final didn’t tell the story at all. Danielle Christiano scored twice in the first nine minutes and they cruised from there even though they didn’t put another goal in. Burke probably spent 15 of 80 minutes in the wrong half of the field. Chelsea Bodansky, the Bears keeper, should have brought homework to fill the time. She faced three shots—barely—while her Burke counterpart saw 13.

The only thing that can stop them are occasional defensive lapses that have popped up a couple times this year. Twice they’ve allowed four goals in a game, something last year’s team never would have done. They let Burke and Lansing get within a goal in the second half of their state games despite killing both opponents. If you want to give them a little pass for today’s goal because Katie Underwood was out, fine. So far those hiccups haven’t hurt because the D is so good otherwise and the offense murders people (look at the game at Westlake where they fell behind then proceeded to score seven in the second half; it’s almost like they were punishing Westlake for daring to threaten them). But their next two foes are going to be too good to mess around with. Concentrate for 80 minutes and they’ll be fine.

Greeley, meanwhile, had its worst scoring output of the season but still beat Monroe-Woodbury 1-0. It was the Quakers’ fourth shutout of the postseason after just six in the regular season. It was good to see them challenged after the massacre of Corning that had General Custer wincing. We knew Monroe was solid because it beat North Rockland 4-1 this year. A couple Crusaders were pretty intimidating, especially their huge center middie.  Striker Jackie Frey made some scary runs too. They kept Greeley keeper Kristen Guernier on her toes but never broke through.

With maybe nine minutes left they started amping up the pressure. Then Sydney Rutman, who’d left minutes before with a nose bleed (she was still holding her nose after the game), re-entered and immediately made a run to force a corner kick. That started the tide turning back. Yet Monroe got one last unfettered look with seven minutes to go, by far its greatest chance, a point blank view with no defender in sight. But the shooter waited too long, allowing Liz Novenstern to make a miraculous play. I describe it in detail in the game story, so I won’t go into it here. Suffice it to say no one saw Novenstern coming. And everyone wondered why the shooter hadn’t unloaded already. Sometimes it’s bad to have that much time. You start thinking. Thog say: thinking bad. (Thog is my imaginary caveman. I like to break him out whenever I get tired of verbs. I’m sort of surprised he’s getting introduced so late in the season. I’ll have to get him into every blog post from now on.)

A few more random observations: 1) The unsung hero for Greeley was midfelder Kelsey Hill. She used her blend of physicality and speed really effectively, carrying the ball from defensive third to offensive third on several occasions. 2) The sign for the HV Sports Dome on Route 9W needs to be bigger. And the counter guy at the Sunoco station three miles down the road needs to know where the turnoff is once I pass it. 3) The more I watch them, the more I think Briarcliff could have won the Class A sectionals. 4) I don’t know what kind of confidence juice Taylor Jackson is drinking, but that girl has become a great interview. Not good—great. Last year she was very shy, which isn’t uncommon, but this year it’s like a different person. Of course now that I’ve singled her out she’ll probably get all shy again. Man I’m a jerk.

OK, Thog tired. Thog go sleep.

All-league:
Albertus Magnus: Caroline Burke, Caitlin Hoffer, Caitlin Frawley, Ashley Huber, Christine Kennelly; Ardsley: Sika Gasinu, Jen Fields; Blind Brook: Amanda Lois, Jillian Forbes, Chelsea Lois; Brewster: Anna Spannaus; Briarcliff: Amy Wagner, Katie Underwood, Jane Wallis, Savina Reid, Liana Cornacchio, Danielle Christiano, Megan Hewett, Chelsea Bodansky, Maddie Kittay; Bronxville: Christie Gietl, Maggie Pyle, Meghan Bond, Liz Jones, Jessica Palfrey, Christie Bonfiglio;  Byram Hills: Carly Roth, Liza Falk, Regan Marin, Ellie Kantor, Michelle Fuerst; Carmel: Kim Broccoli, Jenna Gilbert; Clarkstown North: Samantha Stein, Dana DeJesus, Ilyse Schwartz, Abby Leiberman; Clarkstown South: Jessica Silva, Meghan Hayes, Jackie Barry, Taylor Quilty; Croton-Harmon: Maggie St. Leger; Dobbs Ferry: Nicoleta Hardesty, Emily Rosenbloom; Eastchester: Samantha Fleischman, Delia Hughes, Alexandra Paolucci, Emily McMahon; Edgemont: Molly Orden, Nicole Shifteh, Melanie DeFiore, Chrissy Kozera, Angela Napoletano; Fox Lane: Kelsey Wilkes, Madeline Stain; Gorton: Arlene Brodrick, Pamela Soriano, Rubi Hernandez, Ashley Molina; Haldane: Alex Milner, Faye Rice, Emily Marsh, Lily Rubino, Juliana Dorr, Ally LeBron, Karolina Alves;  Harrison: Daniela Madaloni, Liz Gordon, Lydia Lulkin; Hastings: Margot Klepetko, Andrea Stephens; Hen Hud: Kelly Hanly, Leanne Benson, Kayla Mancusi, Deanna Peterson, Liz Paese, Nicole Ciabocchi, Kerri Russo; Horace Greeley: Sydney Rutman, Taylor Jackson, Erin Jackson, Courtney Miller, Becca Kaplan, Kelsey Hill;  Irvington: Emily Braun, Anna Blum; John Jay: Christina McLoughlin, Zoe Boyd, Mary Corelli, Laura Olsen; Keio: Yuuri Yamanaka, Mikako Arita; Kennedy: Theresa Tolan; Lakeland: Kristen Reiche, Meghan Tremblay; Mahopac: Carly Villanova, Lauren Cihanek, Chrissy Scardera, Sarah DeMarzo; Mamaroneck: Phoebe Hanley, Stephanie Velez, Amanda Tuck, Emma Mintzer, Erika Romagnoli, Anna Carroll, Emily Wilson; Nanuet: Kelly Fanshawe, Brittany Farsetta, Lauren Kahn, Jen Gonos, Michaelle Kelly, Becky Torres, Courtney McGrath; New Rochelle: Nora Haney, Sara Meisler, Debbie Gilwit; North Rockland: Megan Lavecchia, Nicole Landes, Jenna Angelucci, Loryn Ginley, Katherina Dapolito, Olivia Panepinto, Kelsey Fisher; North Salem: Cate Crenson, Erica Nagi, Ashley Nussbaum, Elyana Genovese, Stacy Buzzetto, Alexia Shea, Heather Pensabene, Jamie Bocchino, Elizabeth Ruggi; Nyack: Kristina Miehle, Elizabeth Gronwoldt, Caroline Chesterman, Pamela Samoylo; Ossining: Kelsey Vallach, Natalie Finn, Vanessa Henry; Panas: Tiara Johnson, Erin Donahue; Pearl River: Brittany Egan, Maria Kunzmann, Samantha Payne, Christine Willock; Pelham: Jules Carfora, Laura Davis, Rashida Sherman, Kerry Davis, Sarah Stiefvater, Christina Palmieri; Pleasantville: Alexa Woolley, Danielle Minerva; Putnam Valley: Tara Gleason; Rye: Tatiana Saunders, Lia Bellizzi, Alexandra Rimmer, Caroline Feeley, Erin McCarty; Rye Neck: Rosina Calisto, Lona Speidell, Jodi Rosenzweig, Jessica Wright, Brittany Ciardello, Elena Solazzo; Saunders: Christine Terlecky, Jessica Negron, Tatiana Queliz, Shiela Reyes, Jessica Gallego, Patricia Villate, Megan Olivera; Scarsdale: Ashlyn Hlawitschka, Christine Yankou, Nicole Rafajac, Alex Tartell, Christine Hart, Shelby Schrier; Solomon Schechter: Nicole Fleishman, Naomi Pollack, Adina Goldman; Somers: Shona Craig, Teadie Becker, Michelle Iannacchino, Melissa Guglielmo; Sleepy Hollow: Allaire Primiano, Cathy Garro; Suffern: Catrina Del Gais, Alanna Fisher, Stephanie Reimer, Sasha Clynes, Besarta Tanushaj, Katie Wolfe, Cara Goldman;  Tappan Zee: Jennifer Trinkoff, Jamie Kimak, Dezre Diers, Deanna Amoia, Allie Reale; Tuckahoe: Tess Meyer, Gabriella Severaino, Diana Ottamanelli;  Ursuline: Kerry Ann O’Connor, Taylor Cordy, Kelly Reilly, Megan Englert, Sophie Pexioto, Elia Francis, Alaina Colluta; Valhalla: Krista Everett, Katie Giberson, Katie Griffin, Katie Rozanski, Alexa Piccoli; Westlake: Amy Marron, Alexis Pardo, Suzanne Farrell; White Plains: Renee Jensen, Marisa Caldarola, Janay Brunson, Hannah Reiss, Shelby Fields, Allison Rainone; Yonkers: Guadalupe Maceda, Megan Kenn, Daniela Sorrentino, Diana Ramirez, Rosa Reyna, Mildres Menou; Yorktown: Samantha Russo, Kathryn Donatelli, Gabrielle Lawrence, Noelle Lombardo.

The showcase is a way to get players noticed by local colleges. For that reason I believe, and don’t quote me on this, but I believe it’s only open to seniors who haven’t picked a school yet. The organizers invite dozens of college coaches to attend in hopes that they’ll have a roster spot to offer. Last year the game format I think was big schools vs. small schools, which it’ll probably be again. The level of play will obviously be tremendous. Not every senior is invited, only those who have a real chance of playing at the next level.

“First off I give both teams credit for even playing soccer in the freezing cold and snow. They definitely have my respect. Just from watching the game I could see that Hastings was more focused and flat out the better team. They were faster than Lansing and their communication on the field was pretty impressive. Lansing tried at times to imitate Hastings by being overly physical but it really had no effect on the Yellow Jackets. Even when Lansing tied things up you could hear the Hastings players gearing each other up and saying lets score another one. After the game when I interviewed guys like Aaron Markowitz and Ante Lozina you could just see how relaxed they were and how confident they are in their team by their answers. The rest of the guys gathered around us and shouted out random things which was pretty funny but it’s definitely cool to see a team that has as much fun as they do.”

All-section:
Albertus Magnus: Caroline Burke, Caitlin Hoffer, Caitlin Frawley; Blind Brook: Amanda Lois, Jillian Forbes; Briarcliff: Amy Wagner, Katie Underwood, Jane Wallis, Savina Reid, Liana Cornacchio, Danielle Christiano; Bronxville: Christie Gietl, Maggie Pyle, Meghan Bond;  Byram Hills: Carly Roth, Liza Falk, Regan Marin; Carmel: Kim Broccoli; Clarkstown North: Samantha Stein, Dana DeJesus; Clarkstown South: Jessica Silva, Meghan Hayes; Dobbs Ferry: Nicoleta Hardesty, Emily Rosenbloom; Eastchester: Samantha Fleischman, Delia Hughes, Alexandra Paolucci; Edgemont: Molly Orden, Nicole Shifteh, Melanie DeFiore; Fox Lane: Kelsey Wilkes; Gorton: Arlene Brodrick; Haldane: Alex Milner, Faye Rice, Emily Marsh, Lily Rubino;  Harrison: Daniela Madaloni; Hastings: Margot Klepetko; Hen Hud: Kelly Hanly, Leanne Benson, Kayla Mancusi, Deanna Peterson; Horace Greeley: Sydney Rutman, Taylor Jackson, Erin Jackson, Courtney Miller;  Irvington: Emily Braun; John Jay: Christina McLoughlin, Zoe Boyd; Keio: Yuuri Yamanaka; Lakeland: Kristen Reiche; Mahopac: Carly Villanova, Lauren Cihanek; Mamaroneck: Phoebe Hanley, Stephanie Velez, Amanda Tuck, Emma Mintzer, Erika Romagnoli; Nanuet: Kelly Fanshawe, Brittany Farsetta, Lauren Kahn, Jen Gonos, Michaelle Kelly; New Rochelle: Nora Haney; North Rockland: Megan Lavecchia, Nicole Landes, Jenna Angelucci, Loryn Ginley, Katherina Dapolito; North Salem: Cate Crenson, Erica Nagi, Ashley Nussbaum, Elyana Genovese, Stacy Buzzetto; Nyack: Kristina Miehle, Elizabeth Gronwoldt, Caroline Chesterman; Ossining: Kelsey Vallach; Panas: Tiara Johnson; Pearl River: Brittany Egan, Maria Kunzmann; Pelham: Jules Carfora, Laura Davis, Rashida Sherman; Pleasantville: Alexa Woolley; Rye: Tatiana Saunders, Lia Bellizzi, Alexandra Rimmer; Rye Neck: Rosina Calisto, Lona Speidell, Jodi Rosenzweig, Jessica Wright; Saunders: Christine Terlecky, Jessica Negron; Scarsdale: Ashlyn Hlawitschka, Christine Yankou, Nicole Rafajac; Solomon Schechter: Nicole Fleishman, Naomi Pollack, Adina Goldman; Somers: Shona Craig, Teadie Becker; Suffern: Catrina Del Gais, Alanna Fisher, Stephanie Reimer;  Tappan Zee: Jennifer Trinkoff, Jamie Kimak, Dezre Diers; Tuckahoe: Tess Meyer, Gabriella Severaino, Diana Ottamanelli;  Ursuline: Kerry Ann O’Connor, Taylor Cordy, Kelly Reilly, Megan Englert; Valhalla: Krista Everett, Katie Giberson; Westlake: Amy Marron, Alexis Pardo; White Plains: Renee Jensen, Marisa Caldarola, Janay Brunson; Yonkers: Guadalupe Maceda, Megan Kenn; Yorktown: Samantha Russo, Kathryn Donatelli.League I-A
Player of the Year: Stephanie Velez (Mamaroneck)
Coach of the Year: Ron Blain (Mamaroneck)
League I-B
Player of the Year: Megan Lavecchia (North Rockland)
Coach of the Year: Darren Hawks (Clarkstown North)
League I-C
Player of the Year: Colleen Barry (Arlington)
Coach of the Year: Darryl Sullivan (John Jay-East Fishkill)
League I-D
Player of the Year: Christine Terlecky (Saunders)
Coach of the Year: Carlo Mitrione (Saunders)
League II-Central
Player of the Year: Courtney Miller (Horace Greeley)
Coach of the Year: Erin Tracy (Horace Greeley)
League II-North
Player of the Year: Sarah Porco (Our Lady of Lourdes)
Coach of the Year: Dave Seipps (Our Lady of Lourdes)
League II-South
Player of the Year: Kerry Ann O’Connor (Ursuline)
Coach of the Year: Malcolm Brown (Ursuline)
League III-A
Player of the Year: Katie Underwood (Briarcliff) and Amy Marron (Westlake)
Coach of the Year: Owen Scully (Briarcliff)
League III-B
Player of the Year: Jules Carfora (Pelham)
Coach of the Year: Nicole Kocalnes (Pelham)
League III-C
Player of the Year: Kelly Fanshawe (Nanuet)
Coach of the Year: Michael Henderson (Nanuet)
League IV-North
Player of the Year: Cate Crenson (North Salem) and Alex Milner (Haldane)
Coach of the Year: Bob Martin (North Salem)
League IV-Central
Player of the Year: Rosina Calisto (Rye Neck)

“Despite the drop in temperature and snow scurring down, Byam Hills walked away with a 4-1 win over Section 4’s Owego in the Class A regional semifinals yesterday at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta. From opening kick-off the Bobcats (20-1-1) came out on fire and wanted to prove they can come out on top, but Owego came out first scoring on a direct kick from about 30 yards out with five minutes into the half. But the Bobcats answered right back rwo minutes later by Will Shaheen goal off of a direct kick at midfield by Stephen Paresi. After that point during the first half, the Bobcats held possession and had many opportunities to put the ball in the net. Some bounced off the post, some went wide, and some the keeper saved, until Mike D’Angelo scored with eight minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the half to break the tie. Once again, Paresi got the assist.

The Bobcats continued to play like it was still 0-0 throughtout the second half. Senior Will Ogden, the team’s leading scorer, walked away with two goals in the second half, giving him 20 goals this season so far. Paresi having all four assists is proud to walk away with 14 this season.

‘It is just the best feeling knowing you have practice they next day and that the season is not over,’ Paresi said.”

 Thanks for that report Kristin. Kristin was up in Oneonta for two days after covering the girls game on Tuesday. Now here’s Eric Lebowitz on Greeley’s loss to Vestal:

“Although Horace Greeley fell 3-2 to Section IV champion Vestal in a boys soccer Class AA state semifinals, the Quakers showed tremendous heart in rallying from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second half.     Part of the reason Vestal was able to jump out to that 2-0 lead was its ability to capitalize on the field conditions. Light rain and snow fell before and during the game, making for a slick field. Twice Vestal was able to use the fast conditions to play passes through to forward speedy forward Brian Rose, who scored both first half goals.     

     Greeley forward Stephen Reisert almost scored a truly remarkable goal midway through the first half with the score 1-0 Vestal.  Reisert was in position to receive a cross near the top of the 18-yard box, but as the ball arched in his direction it seemed destined to sail over his head. In a stunning display of instinct and skill, Reisert backpedaled, turned around and struck a bicycle kick perfectly. Vestal goalie Mike Economou was frozen, and only an unfortunate bounce of the inside of the left post cost Reisert his goal. 

      Despite giving up three goals, Greeley goalie Dan Thau was a big factor in keeping the game close. He made 10 saves in all, including several from point blank range.

      Greeley got the tying goal from senior Scott Scheine with just 4:23 left in the game, and all the momentum seemed to be with the Section 1 champs. But Vestal is a three-time section champion with 16 seniors, and all that experience paid off.

     Rather than panicking or even playing defensively and settling for overtime, Vestal came right back at Greeley and got the game-winner with just under three minutes left in the game.” 

Our first boys blog entry comes from last night’s Class C game, where Blind Brook advanced 4-2 past Millbrook. Here’s Alex Myers with the report.

“Blind Brook was able to walk away with a regional semifinal win over Section 9’s Millbrook last night at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton in what was truly an incredible game. While six goals were scored, they all occurred in two stretches of about three minutes.

In the first half, the Trojans (14-2-2) went ahead 2-0 quickly on goals by Jordan Silverman and Brett Novick. Millbrook responded 23 seconds after Novick’s goal with one of its own to make it 2-1 with nearly 33 minutes left in the first half.

Amazingly, no one would score again until the game took an unexpected and sad turn. Millbrook’s Aiden Little suffered a severe leg injury just below his right leg on a play near the sideline. No one seemed to notice for awhile, but when they finally did, it was determined that an ambulance was needed. Since they didn’t want to move him at all (several players said they saw a bone popping out) everyone waited for the ambulance to arrive. When it finally did, the delay had lasted approximately 30 minutes. Because of the action in previous game’s this kickoff had been nearly an hour after the 7 p.m. scheduled time, so when the play resumed, it was nearly 10 o’clock.

But the craziness was just beginning. Blind Brook tried to stay focused during the break with its 2-1 lead, but Millbrook almost immediately scored to tie the game. While the delay may have had something to do with it, I don’t know how anyone could have stopped the Blazers’ Justin Williams long shot that managed to sneak just under the crossbar 15 seconds after play resumed.

Blind Brook, an experienced team with 15 seniors from last year’s squad that also defeated Millbrook in the regional semifinal, wasted little time responding. Novick scored 33 seconds later on a beautiful long pass from David Levinson and Scott Kaufman added a clinching goal less than two minutes after that to make it 4-2.

What a wild game. I was particularly impressed with Blind Brook’s response following having the game tied. They could have sulked about how the injury delay caused them to lose their momentum, but they didn’t and they pulled out an incredible win.

Novick, the team’s leading scorer all year was great with two goals, but Harris Brett also played well in goal with eight saves, most of which came in the second half. Levinson, who made the assist on the winning goal, also played a superb defensive game, including saving a second half goal with a clear right near the goal line.”

The Lower Hudson Valley ain’t bad, not after taking two out of three state playoff games today. The victors didn’t just win either. Horace Greeley and Briarcliff combined to beat Section 4’s champions 10-2. The scores—Greeley 5-0 over Corning in AA and Briarcliff 5-2 over Lansing in B—were indicative of how little danger the locals were ever in.

Corning played even for about 10 minutes before the Quakers realized how small the Hawks were and blasted them. Before eight minutes were gone in the second half the Quakers led 5-0. Coach Tracy spent the last 25 minutes yanking her starters one by one until only Erin Jackson remained. Tracy pulled her fullback with five minutes left. In my four years on the job I’ve never witnessed that much gar-baj time in a state tournament game. I could have done my laundry and been back for postgame interviews. At least it wasn’t that cold. There was wind at the beginning but it quieted down. (Probably had money on Corning.) It ended up being a lot more pleasant than Saturday night.

Around the time that game shifted into autopilot, Briarcliff was wrapping up its game, which started 20 minutes earlier. At one point in the second half Lansing cut the lead to 3-2, but it was never that even. The Bears were in Lansing’s end all day. Halfway through the first half they’d already taken six corner kicks. Lansing had been ranked second in the state, which either means Briarcliff is No. 1 or the state rankings take the “shoot” out of “crapshoot.” I said before the sectional finals that the Class B winner would go far in states and I didn’t see any evidence to the contrary today. Liana Cornacchio’s hat trick is more proof that these crazy-skilled freshmen are as driven as the Megan Hewetts and Kira Pancottis, the upperclassmen who got bumped early last year.

OK, now the bad news. Solomon Schechter took S.S. Seward into OT but couldn’t advance past the Section 9 champ. The Lions fell 2-1 to close one of the best stories of the year. They went from Class D nobody to Class C champ in a year, using a lot of the same crew that slogged through all those 2-10 seasons. After the game, Talia Prince said, “We’re bringing 800 more kids into the school and playing in AA next year. Watch your backs, Greeley!” OK that’s a lie. But they should feel great about moving up a class and thriving. For the sake of competitiveness I hope they stay there; Class C is shrinking rapidly in Section 1 and can use as many schools as it can get.

As for the game itself, I didn’t see any of it because it was in Milton while I was in Oneonta. Dan Marra gave me the lowdown, which he can describe better than me in tomorrow’s game story. Basically the first 65 minutes were dead, followed by an action-packed final 15 and overtime. There were clutch plays, controversial yellow cards, and a second-varsity-ever-in-her life goal from Nicole Fleishman, who you may recall scored her first on Saturday. Bottom line, Dan confided, Seward’s girls were twice as big so Schechter was fighting uphill all day.