Section II Champions!
By | On Nov 06, 2011
Wednesday November 9, 2011
AUSTIN DANFORTH
Assistant Sports Editor
STILLWATER, N.Y. — Exasperation began to wash down Jordyn Haynes’ face as one overtime bled into the next.
Each run, each cross appeared more promising than the last, but her teammates’ decisive finish was nowhere to be found.
Turned out it was only a matter of time before the eighth-grade winger’s persistence paid off on Wednesday night.
Haynes netted the game-winning goal — her second of the game — in the 28th minute of extra time, tapping in a wayward shot from Grace Delurey to give No. 2 Hoosick Falls Central School a 2-1 victory against fourth-seeded Mechanicville in the Section-II, Class-C girls soccer championship at Stillwater High School.
“When we didn’t make it or [shots] went right over, that was really frustrating,” Haynes said. “But there were going to be other opportunities, I knew that.”
The Panthers’ first sectional crown since 2007 and fourth in the last 10 years sends them to the state quarterfinals against Tupper Lake, the Section X champion.
However, it took a sterling defensive effort to get that far. Hoosick Falls (18-1-1) tasked Alice Hayden to mark Mechanicville (17-3) scoring machine Abby Maiello, who entered the final with 45 goals this season.
Hayden said she was nervous when the game started, but her own scouting session made up for it.
“I looked her up on YouTube and I watched her
videos for like two hours, just trying to figure out what she did and really shut her down,” Hayden said.
Maiello ended the season with 45 goals, failing to score for just the third time this year, and the Red Raiders failed to score in open play.
“[Hayden] did a fantastic job. She was equally as fast as Abby and really just took her out of the game,” Raiders’ coach Karl Gerstenberger said.
“Our defense kept us in the game, no question about it. Hayden had a great game, but all four of them stayed organized and under control,” Hoosick Falls coach Tom Husser said, referring to defenders Liz Babson, Emily Everard and Anna Restino. “They all stepped up at the right time.”
At the other end, Haynes put the Panthers in front with 17 minutes 42 seconds left in the first half tucking a rebound inside the left post after defenders blocked two Hoosick Falls shots short of the goal.
Mechanicville equalized in the 53rd minute, with Marissa Skaczkowski pouncing after Hoosick Falls goalie Hannah Fricke (six saves) bobbled a free kick short of the goal.
The teams entered overtime knotted at 1-1 and the tying goal was a boost for the Red Raiders, but it didn’t turn the tide.
“We were confident we were playing well, but they kind of had the better of the play,” Gerstenberger said.
And with just 2:50 left to decide things before a penalty kick shootout, Delurey, played into the box by Meg McKee, found room on the left to shoot back across Mechanicville goalie Kim Thompson (five saves). Her attempt beat the keeper, but was headed beyond the post, too, before Haynes swooped in to clean up the victory.
“I saw Grace over there and I knew she would shoot it, but just in case it went wide I wanted to be ready. I guess I was there at the right time,” Haynes said.
The countdown is now on for Hoosick Falls, who are a win away from the Final Four in Cortland. The Panthers travel to Massena High School on Saturday for the quarterfinal clash with Tupper Lake.
“It’s just another step. We want to be in the Final Four. We’re knocking at the door, we just have to open it up now to get in,” Husser said.