The Saratoga Springs girls soccer team didn’t get what it was looking for on the field Monday night at Shenendehowa, but it got what it wanted at Tuesday’s Section II seeding meeting.
The Blue Streaks (13-3-0, 19 points) are the No. 1 seed out of the Suburban Council for the Class AA playoffs and get a first-round bye. They won’t play until next Tuesday, when they host the winner of Thursday’s Ballston Spa-Colonie game.
I think this is the first time that we’ve been seeded No. 1, at least as far back as I can remember, said Saratoga coach Adrienne Dannehy.
Saratoga was hoping to have a full head of steam entering the playoffs, but Shen (12-3-1, 17.5 points) had other ideas as the Plainswomen edged the Blue Streaks 1-0 on a rainy night in Clifton Park.
The game was scoreless until the 66th minute. Saratoga goaltender Elizabeth Rogan came out to clear the ball, but her kick bounced hard off a charging Kristen Connors and straight back into the empty net for a 1-0 Shen lead.
`I just ran as hard as I could [towards the ball],` said Connors. `I was really happy [it went in], but I just wanted to come off the field.`
`That’s what she does,` said Shen coach Holli Mulholland. `We try to instill that crash hard mentality, and she followed through with it.`
Shen had several quality scoring chances leading up to Connors’ goal. In one instance, Connors thought she had a goal early in the first half, but it was waved off because of an offsides call.
Most of Saratoga’s scoring chances came following Connors’ second-half tally. The Blue Streaks peppered Shen goalie Juliana McDermott with several shots in the final 10 minutes, but none of them found the back of the net.
`We held them, which was good,` said Mulholland. `We also had plenty of quality opportunities.`
Shen’s win didn’t improve its seeding for Sectionals, though, thanks to Niskayuna’s 5-0 win against Ballston Spa and Bethlehem’s 3-0 victory over Guilderland Monday. Niskayuna (12-3-1, 18.5 points) held on to the No. 2 seed, while Bethlehem (14-2-0) kept the No. 3 seed based on standings points.
`It gives us a good roll going into Sectionals, and that’s what we wanted,` said Mulholland.
Saratoga ` which had its 10-game winning streak snapped Monday ` now looks to regain its momentum as it carries the No. 1 seed into Sectionals.
`As our win streak got bigger and bigger, so did the target on our backs. So, we’re used to it,` said Dannehy.
Like Saratoga, Shen gets a first-round bye for Sectionals. The Plainswomen host either Albany or Shaker in next Tuesday’s Class AA quarterfinals.
In other Sectional soccer playoff news, defending Class A champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (12-4-0) has the No. 1 seed for this year’s playoffs. The Lady Spartans are off until Saturday when they host either No. 9 Mohonasen or No. 8 Ichabod Crane in the quarterfinals.
BH-BL concluded its regular season Monday with a 3-2 Suburban Council victory over Shaker. Emily Capron, Nichole DeCrescente and Skye Kaler each scored a goal for the Lady Spartans in the overtime game.“