Girls soccer

Night fever

Lady Bears get 10th win in electrifying game

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY - Pre-game t-shirts worn by Sullivan West players matched the signs on the fence that announced, “Bring the Heat.” Other signs decried, “Let it burn.”

These were fitting thoughts for a brisk October night under a full moon as Tri-Valley and Sullivan West revved up for their first-ever girls soccer game under the lights.

It was parents’ night at Sullivan West and each of the team’s players handed flowers to their supportive kin.

After Stephanie Meyer’s vibrant rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, all that was missing was a barrage of fireworks. Those came in the form of a high-intensity, well-fought match between teams that are improving daily.

Tri-Valley unveiled its flair with deft chip passes, defenders who stopped balls and sent them through the opposition and acumen in saving balls that seemed destined to go out of bounds by kicking ahead to strikers already in search of space. It was just such skills that led the Lady Bears to their 10th season victory with a 2-0 win over the Lady Dawgs.

An early breakaway by Megan Drown and Karyn Sheeley had the Tri-Valley crowd cheering, but Sullivan West’s defenders showed their strength in the middle and turned back Tri-Valley’s advances.

“Send it over the top,” yelled Tri-Valley coach Mary Feusner from the sideline.

Last week, Feusner coached her 500th match since assuming the coaching mantle in 1978. Despite her lengthy tenure, Feusner hasn’t lost her passion, nor her expertise in directing her team’s hustle and flow.

The Bears had the early advantage, as forwards Casey Offringa and Sheeley broke out ahead. Sheeley had the first shot of the game, but Sullivan West keeper Kristen Niemann easily handled it.

A second shot by Skylar Musa sailed over the top of the goal with six and half minutes gone by.

In response, Sullivan West’s Donna Kelly wrangled with Musa and won a ball that she sent ahead. Tri-Valley’s Jakki Pugh, an eighth grade phenom, won it right back.

The Dawgs were whistled for a dangerous play that afforded the Lady Bears an indirect. Offringa had a chance but her header went wide.

Sullivan West’s rush was reversed by Lady Bear Kayla Scannell as the ball entered Tri-Valley’s third of the field as Feusner noticed that her team was playing to Sullivan West’s strength and called out, “Get it to the outside. Use short, quick passes.”

Sullivan West had its first shot at 25:14 with a corner kick, but keeper Kaylie Ackerley held on tight.

On defense, Sullivan West’s Sarah Lander presented an imposing presence, returning balls that came her way with authority.

But Tri-Valley kept on coming. A good ball led to a breakaway by the speedy Drown, whose shot sailed wide right with 23:17 remaining in the half.

Patient and persistent, Offringa sent one ahead to Pugh at 22:23, who beat Niemann, and Tri-Valley took a 1-0 lead.

Sullivan West looked to even it, as Jessica Armstrong broke loose and fired a diagonal shot towards the net to no avail.

Though the Dawgs’ defense was playing exceptionally well, Tri-Valley was working the ball consistently into Sullivan West’s third of the field.

After Gretchen Hartmann held a ball in following a Dawg goal kick, Niemann recorded another save in the subsequent Tri-Valley onslaught.

But given the flow, it seemed inevitable that the Lady Bears would get another one in with their constant pressure. After another sequence afforded the Bears an additional scoring opportunity, Sullivan West’s Katrina Graby picked up a ball and broke out on the attack. The Dawgs got a two-on-one breakaway with Armstrong, who fired point blank at Bears’ keeper Kaylie Ackerley.

Miraculously, Ackerley hit the turf with ball in hand and the Bears took their one-zip lead into halftime.

Both coaches reviewed the first half’s play and suggested adjustments. Tri-Valley kicked in, and almost immediately Musa threaded her way through three defenders in a highlight sequence of deft dribbling as the Lady Bears followed Feusner’s advice to “give and go.”

But the Lady Dawgs had no intention of surrendering on their home pitch.

Lindsey Murphy held a ball in by winning one from Scannell. She sent a beautiful feed ahead to Lauren Ellison, who had a great opening, but couldn’t get enough foot on it for the game-tying goal.

Fueled by their missed chance, the Lady Dawgs fought harder.

Melanie Kleiner won a ball and kept it in. She sent it to Murphy who chipped it to Ellison.

In a great maneuver, Ellison reversed the ball towards the goal and fired a pass at a well-positioned Jessica Corbett whose shot was turned aside.

The clock showed plenty of time left at 34:15 to go, but the Dawgs had let a couple of chances slip away.

Much to Feusner’s chagrin, her forwards were passing into the middle of the field. With the likes of Kleiner, Graby, Ella McDonald and others, that strategy would never pay off.

After a reminder from their coach, the Bears abandoned the failed strategy.

Drown broke loose at 29:50, but Niemann held on for the save.

Lander excelled on defense, but with the loss of Laura Stabbert, who was sidelined with an ankle injury suffered in a game against Liberty, Sullivan West was missing one its two best stoppers.

Consequently, Drown scored the game’s second goal on an assist from Adriaans with 27:21 remaining, to give the Bears the 2-0 lead that would stand up for the remainder of the game. It was a fitting celebration for Adriaans’ birthday.

But the Dawgs refused to quit.

Kelly had a direct kick, but it didn’t have enough on it. Lander sent one ahead to a racing Graby, but Tri-Valley continued to drop its defenders back on Sullivan West’s advances and move its forwards up on ensuing attacks.

Ellmauer replaced Niemann with Meyer in goal at 18:31 to add another weapon up front, but Tri-Valley’s control of the flow allowed few opportunities for the Dawgs’ strike force.

Adriaans sent a great cross in front of the goal at 15:46.

Coming back the other way, Ellsion stopped the ball, dribbled and sent it on a line to Corbett, who turned at the last second to see the ball nearly on her. She headed it in the wrong direction away from a net that was glaringly open at 11:50.

That was Sullivan West’s best chance to get on the board.

Corbett sped up the left sideline but the Dawgs couldn’t capitalize.

Fatigue may have left Sullivan West defenders a bit lax. Adriaans had a completely open left wing and roared up the field unabated. She fired a shot at Meyer but it sailed left at 8:02.

Niemann got a shot on goal, but Ackerley held on. Lander held in and fired a blistering bullet that sailed wide left on another missed opportunity for the Dawgs with 5:35 to go.

Tri-Valley got off another three-on-two break that afforded Adriaans a shot from the left corner that Meyer saved.

As time expired, the Lady Bears recorded their fourth shut out.

The win put Tri-Valley at 10-2, with a 2-0 loss to Class B James I. O’Neill and a 2-1 squeaker to division rival Tuxedo.

Ackerley had four saves. Niemann and Meyer combined for six for Sullivan West, which fell to 3-10 overall. The Dawgs are alive in their own division with a 2-2 league record.

Asked about Sullivan West’s advantage in the middle of the field on defense, Feusner agreed that her team errantly played into their opponents’ greatest strength.

Feusner was still mystified as to how Ackerley held on for that save as the first period wound down. She had great praise for sweeper Scannell, whom she referred to as “Miss Consistent.”

Ellmauer’s crew was disappointed at the loss, given it was parents’ night and their first-ever opportunity to shine under the lights.

“You played hard. They have more experience than you do. We should have scored but it was a great game,” said Ellmauer.

The next time the two schools will battle under the lights at Lake Huntington will be in a Class C football showdown that may well determine the Division IV title and both teams’ aspirations to play at Dietz Stadium for the sectional title. But in soccer, the two schools’ frays are non-league, as Sullivan West reports in as Class B, while Tri-Valley is defined as a Class C school.

Classification differences aside, both schools are class acts.

Visit riverreportersports.com for additional photos from the game.