GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Some dreams are like cotton candy spinning in the wind, while others are like finely woven, effervescent hopes stretching into a gossamer future.

On Friday, November 1, the home team Lady Bears of Tri-Valley took on the Rhinebeck Lady Hawks at the Iatauro Sports Complex. Whichever team emerged triumphant would be the winner of the Section IX Class C semifinals in varsity girls’ soccer.

Both squads fought toe-to-toe on a field swept with blustery winds, as emergency units responded to a blaze a couple of hills above the sports complex, named in honor of Section IX legends Joe and Missy Iatauro.

At the close of the match, the Lady Hawks moved on by defeating the home team 5-1.

In the first half, Rhinebeck’s Amanda O’Han posted a goal to take a 1-0 lead.

In the second frame, the Lady Hawks added four more to their tally, as goals were scored by Amelia-Mae Curthoys, O’Han, Lara Longman and Allison Stephan. The last posted her first varsity goal.

In the last two minutes of the match, Tri-Valley’s Angelia Raykoff earned the team a moment of redemption, as she scored a goal off an assist by Mya Ibarra.

As for goalie saves, Tri-Valley’s Emily Lucak was credited with 10, while Rhinebeck’s Gwen Dampf had 14.

Matt Grande, helmsman of the Lady Hawks (9-7 overall) said his squad played with “much more poise” in the second frame. “We tried to dominate the midfield, which I think we did.”

The Lady Hawks field seven upperclassmen, and are led by a trio of senior captains: Fiona Murray, Amanda O’Han and Maddy Santoro.

The Lady Bears (8-4-2 overall) are coached by Kayla Connolly and Andrea McGregor.

“Both teams came out really hard in the first half, and we were able to hold them to 1-0, but at times the girls kind of gave up, but then came back,” said Connolly.

Shaking off the disappointing defeat, she listed a couple of highlights of the season: a comeback victory against Livingston Manor, when the Lady Bears posted three goals in the last 10 minutes to win 7-5; and that Jenna Carmody scored all three of her penalty kicks during the year, which Connolly called “a great accomplishment.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Coach Connolly said that this year’s juniors will be seniors “with a lot of talent.” Emily Lucak, “a great asset,” will be back to guard the net in her second season as goalie, along with “a lot of young girls coming up from the lower ranks.”