SEASON IN REVIEW: GIRLS' SOCCER

Greg Dedrick

ccSCOOP Sports

New Lebanon
Despite facing some stiff competition from a number of tough teams littered throughout the Central Hudson Valley League this season, the Tigers still managed at 7-6-1 conference record, which put them in fourth place.
 
After a first round bye, the Tigers squared off with Bolton and made quick work of their opponents, scoring a goal in the first half and adding two more in the second for a 3-0 win where they allowed just 2 shots on goal defensively.
 
Into the final four of Section II Class D, the Tigers ran into Whitehall and battled through 80 minutes of regulation and another 10 minutes of overtime. The two teams continued in the second overtime, but just before the final whistle, Whitehall scored the game’s lone goal to knock New Lebanon out of the playoffs.
 
The Tigers used four different players in goal this year but seemed to settle on freshman Jill Risko down the stretch. Getting her valuable experience in pressure situations will certainly help next season. Some other players to watch for next year include Juanita Eaton, who netted herself 3 goals this year, and senior-to-be Rachel Farrell.
 
The big trouble for New Lebanon will come in the loss of their two best players. Geneva Furlano was tremendous all year long in the field and even played goalie in some crucial situations, but her best work was certainly creating offense. Furlano scored 20 goals and added 7 assists this year, while fellow senior Hannah Springer scored 7 goals and added 2 assists. The two seniors scored 27 of the Tigers' 35 goals this year, nearly 80 percent of their team’s offense.
 
Still with a goalie with experience, a fantastic feeder system, and some returning skill, the Tigers should be able to stay toward the upper half of the league next season.
 
 
Ichabod Crane
It wasn’t easy, but the Riders won their fifth consecutive Patroon Conference title after posting a 14-1-1 record, narrowly edging out Maple Hill, who finished 13-1-2. Against the other four Patroon Conference teams with winning records this year, the Riders went 6-1-1.
 
Unfortunately for the Riders, another fantastic regular season ended prematurely in the postseason with a surprising first-round defeat at the hands of Gloversville. Despite controlling much of the game, the Riders struggled to finish, as they had for stretches of the season, and saw their quest for a sectional title come to an end.
 
Although they lost a ton of talent off last year’s squad, this year’s roster was far from bare. Fourteen different players scored for the Riders this season, with senior Morgan Van Alstyne leading the way with 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists). Sophomore Alex Armstrong led the team in goals, finishing with 16 to go along with 1 assist, while defensive stopper Shana Barry dished out a team-leading 11 assists to go with her four goals. A pair of 8th graders, Mariela Jacome and Jessica Mink tallied 12 points a piece, with Jacome going for 6 goals, 6 assists, and Mink finishing with 8 goals, 4 assists. Junior Cassidy Lester finished with 8 goals this season. Seniors Lacey Powers and Haley Ooms switched positions halfway through the year, but each still had solid offensive numbers. In goal, sophomore Alicia Link played well throughout the year, especially for a first-time starter.
 
Just like last year, the Riders will lose plenty of talent with Van Alstyne up front, Ooms in the midfield, and Powers and Barry, the core of their defense, but the team is primed for another run. Jacome, Lester, and Armstrong up front are a fantastic front line, and Mink in the mid should be ready to excel even as just a freshman. The key will be on defense where Alicia Mink must continue to control the goal, while Katie Walker and Jessica Van Alphen adjust to more crucial roles.
 
The coaches voted a number of Riders to the All Conference squads after the season led by Alex Armstrong, Shana Barry, Haley Ooms, Lacey Powers, and Morgan Van Alstyne—all on the first team. Katie Walker was the lone Rider selected for the second team. This means that six of the Riders eleven starters were considered "elite-level" players for the league this year.
 

Chatham

Youth, injuries and inconsistent play plagued the Panthers all season long as the team went 9-6 in the Patroon, finishing in fifth place, but when it counted, Chatham came together and put together a miraculous run all the way into the Class CC Finals.
 
After starting out their playoffs with a dominating 6-0 home stand against Lake George, the Panthers were sent on three straight treks in the hope of bringing home a title. In the second round, the Panthers squeezed by top-seeded Hoosick Falls, thanks to a second half goal by Regina Behn. The huge upset gave the Panthers some much needed momentum as they headed into the final four. In that final four contest, Chatham scored a goal in each half as they topped Galways behind Cailey Nieto's and Behn’s offense.
 
In the finals against a tough Cambridge squad, the Panthers surrendered a goal late in each half as they fell 2-0. The run the Panthers made as an 8th seed was still a fantastic feat and a great end to their season.
 
Chatham’s run through the playoffs helps to set them up for next year since this year’s team was still very young and loses very little. The biggest loss will be Abby Berninger on the defense. The list of key returners is a big one, led by leading scorer Cailey Nieto, who finished with 12 goals and 9 assists. Taylor Wenk finished with 10 goals and 5 assists, while Abby Wheeler had 5 goals and 4 assists. The trio up front is dangerous because Nieto is highly skilled, Wenk is strong, and Wheeler is fast. In the midfield, Alyssa Keeler is going to be a very good player, and Regina Behn started to play fantastic down the stretch. Defensively the majority of pressure will fall to Brittany Lossow in goal and Vikki Bemmis, the sweeper who suffered an injury half way through the season.
 
Cailey Nieto was the lone Panther on the first team All Conference list, while Abby Berninger and Abby Wheeler were each selected to the second team.
 

Taconic Hills
The Titans struggled to a 4-12 season defeating Catskill twice, along with Hudson and Cairo-Durham once each. Even though they had trouble stopping their opponents from scoring, the Titans showed a knack for scoring on offense as they put in 14 goals.
 
Hara Aoki-Saffer scored 9 of her team’s 14 goals this season to lead the way on offense, while Emma Gryner finished with a team-high 6 assists to go along with her lone goal. Janine Hamm racked up the saves in goal despite giving up a lot due to the number of shots she faced.
 
The Titans will lose some talent, including Brianna King, Emma and Rachel Gryner, and possibly Aoki-Saffer, but they will return a nice core regardless of what grade Aoki-Saffer is in. Hamm will be back in goal; eighth grader Jamie Albrecht, freshman Kylle Proper, and junior Johanna Boice will also return.
 
Two Taconic Hills players were named to the second team All Conference list: Brianna King and Johanna Boice.

Hudson
The Bluehawks with a senior-laden team struggled this season and finished 3-11-1 in the Patroon Conference. Hudson picked up wins against Catskill twice and one against Taconic Hills, while fighting to a draw with Cairo-Durham in their final game of the year.
 
Hudson loses a lot (11 of their 14 players) including sweeper Danielle Kitsock, fullback Elyse Reinckens, and strikers Jenna Turner and Sam Davis. The good news for Hudson is that the three players they return are key. Hailey Hollenbeck led the Bluehawks in scoring, Jackie Hall had a big year in goal for them, and Paige Graziano picked up valuable experience. All three were sophomores this year.
 
Danielle Kitsock was the lone Hudson player to make the All Conference teams, landing on the second team.