Just call the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk girls soccer team the queens of the comeback.
The Indians (16-7-1) rallied from multi-goal halftime deficits to win both of their Class B regional games and advance to Friday’s state semifinal against defending champion Briarcliff (Section I) at Tompkins County Community College outside Cortland.
We’re pressing our luck, said R-C-S coach Danielle Wolfe. `It seems like they need to get behind before they start playing. They intrigue me.`
It looked like the Indians’ season was going to end in the regional semifinal against Section III champion Westhill last Tuesday in Chittenango. R-C-S trailed 3-0 midway through the second half before scoring three goals in a 12-minute time span to force overtime. Then, Ashley Wilson tallied in the second 10-minute overtime period to give the Indians a 4-3 victory.
There were more second-half heroics in last Saturday’s regional final against Section VII champion Plattsburgh in Chazy. Slogging through a rain-soaked field, the Indians rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to edge the Hornets 3-2.
`The field was atrocious. The girls could have swum better on that field than they could have played soccer,` said Wolfe.
Wilson got R-C-S going with her fourth goal of the regional round early in the second half. Emily Scott soon followed with her first goal of the regionals to tie the game at 2.
The game nearly went into overtime before the Indians pulled it out. Wilson had a one-on-one with Plattsburgh goaltender Emily Higgins. Wilson’s initial shot was stopped by Higgins, but Ashley Ten Eyck charged in and knocked the ball past Higgins into the net with 1:28 left in regulation to put the Indians ahead.
R-C-S goaltender Teagan Waddingham made two saves in the rain. Melanie Berriere was the only Plattsburgh player to beat Waddingham, as she scored both of the Hornets’ first-half goals.
The victory over Plattsburgh propels R-C-S into its first-ever trip to the state’s final four and headlong into Friday’s semifinal match-up with the defending Class B champions from Briarcliff. The winner meets either Cold Spring Harbor (Section VIII) or Livonia (Section V) in Saturday’s championship game at Homer High School.
`At this point, I think they would be disappointed (with a loss) because who would want this to end?` said Wolfe. `But at the same time, they know that they’ve already accomplished a great deal.`
Bethlehem denied on penalty kicks
In other girls soccer regional action last weekend, Bethlehem’s Class AA playoff run came to an end with a loss to Section III champion Baldwinsville on penalty kicks.
The two teams battled to a scoreless tie through 110 minutes of regulation and overtime at Chittenango High School, leaving both of them with a share of the regional title. But, Baldwinsville ultimately advanced after winning the penalty kick round 3-2.
Bethlehem (21-0-1) reached the regional round after dismissing Niskayuna 2-0 in last Wednesday’s Section II final at Broadalbin-Perth High School. Taylor Teal scored midway through the first half, and Emily Rudolph tallied in the final 10 seconds of regulation to help the Eagles win the Class AA crown for the first time in six years.“