Friday Sectionals: Northstar’s 1st half hat trick by Miller sets tone, dooms No. 4 Panthers as No. 5 Knights advance to Semis with 4-2 road win

Andover/Whitesville senior Spencer Cook, middle, splits the Northstar defense on his way toward the loose ball into the offensive zone during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Andover/Whitesville senior Tommy Thorp (10) races after the loose ball alongside the Northstar defense during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Andover/Whitesville senior Bryce Perry, off-center, bodies the ball down while battling for position with the Northstar defense during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Andover/Whitesville goalkeeper Chris Walker fires the ball down field after making a save during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup against Northstar, in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Andover/Whitesville sophomore Greg Riley, off-center, sends the ball across as the Northstar defense applies pressure during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Andover/Whitesville junior Connor Phillips, left, sends the ball down the field as the Northstar defense applies pressure during Friday night’s Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

ANDOVER — If the Fast & Furious movies were portrayed on the soccer field in any way, shape or form, Northstar and Andover/Whitesville would share leading roles in the cast, as both teams ran quickly and wildly all over the field Friday night in their Class D2 Quarterfinal matchup in Andover.

Right from the word go, each team recorded a goal in the game’s first three minutes of play to establish a rapid 1-1 tie on the scoreboard. The gameplay would settle down shortly afterward, but after the brief break at the midway mark, it would pick back up again. Only this time, it would set the tone.

After a 1-1 tie was created in the earliest stages, it was broken permanently by Northstar’s breakout star Jerry Miller, who recorded a first half hat trick by scoring all three of the team’s goals in the first 40 minutes of play to give the Knights the lead at the half, and ultimately for good, as they eliminated the fourth-seeded Panthers with a 4-2 victory over the road.

The night was highlighted by Jerry Miller, who made his presence known to Andover/Whitesville (4-6-1) almost immediately after the opening kick at center, as he weaved his way past the Panthers defense in on goal just 53 seconds in to give Northstar a 1-0 early advantage. But it didn’t take long for the hosts in purple to formulate a response for the Knights, as Spencer Cook came up with a response of his own on a breakaway tally to the net just over 90 seconds after the fact to tie the game at one.

It would remain as such up until the brief pause in the action at the midway mark, when both teams returned to the field. Northstar would find a way to snap the tie after Miller’s first initial chance on goal took two bounces off the near post before Chris Walker covered the ball to halt play. On the very next offensive rush, Miller made sure the ball crossed the line behind Walker, letting a shot go to provide just enough juice to crawl into the net for a 2-1 lead.

90 seconds later, the lead grew to a pair with his hat trick-clinching goal, as Miller connected by dribbling the ball back into the offensive zone after Andover/Whitesville made the initial clear, sailing a shot from just over 20 yards out and into the net on the near side to give Northstar a decisive 3-1 lead at the break.

The Knights would go on to extend the lead to three in the second half, coming before Spencer Cook tallied his second goal of the game in the final stages to cut the deficit back down to two. But that would be the final goal that the Panthers score this season.

Further statistics were not made available upon publication.

The Panthers finish their first season as a combined unit, as Andover/Whitesville wraps up the 2020 condensed season with an overall record of 4-6-1. The team will graduate six seniors in all in Cook, Chris Walker, Colby Gaines, Tommy Thorp, Kayden Zengerle and Bryce Perry.

No. 4 Northstar will now head down the road to Belfast to meet the top-seeded Bulldogs in a 7 p.m. matchup in the Class D2 Semifinal round on Monday.

No. 2 Jasper-Troupsburg 3, No. 7 Friendship 0

JASPER — The offense belonging to the second-seeded Wildcats of Jasper-Troupsburg was firing on all cylinders on their home field Friday night under the lights, as they provided 29 total shots on the attack to score a berth in the Class D2 Semifinal round after this weekend with a 3-0 shutout of the visiting No. 7 Golden Eagles of Friendship.

It was a 1-0 lead for the Wildcats at the half when Brennan Waters connected on a goal from a Thomas Flint. The Wildcats would go on to score two more in the final 40 minute period of the night, both on solo runs to the net, as Tyler Flint extended the lead to a pair before Cayden Lawson finished off the scoring himself with an unassisted tally of his own.

Atlin Moore made 26 stops in between the pipes for Friendship, who finishes the condensed 2020 season with a record of 1-11. The Golden Eagles will graduate three seniors at the end of the year in Moore, Pehyton Moore and Dekota Stewart.

Class D1 Quarters

No. 1 Fillmore 3, No. 8 Genesee Valley 0

FILLMORE — The top-seeded Fillmore Eagles began their title defense in the second season, Friday night on their home turf. A place they will remain pat at for the entire Sectional tournament after being award Class D1’s highest honor. With their first hurdle to climb over being provided by No. 8 Genesee Valley, it was one they had no issue vaulting over.

The Eagles clicked on all facets on the field, providing a high-octane offense on one end while shutting down the Jaguars offense in the defensive zone, as they made their way back to the Semifinal round with a 3-0 shutout of Genesee Valley in the Class D1 Quarterfinal round.

“This was another big win for us. We pride ourselves in taking care of business in the first round,” Eagles assistant coach Jordan Mullen said. “On our home field, in front of our fans, we make it a mission to defend our field like a temple, and we did that tonight. Full credit to coach (Ryan) McKnight and the GV boys for not making it easy. But now we continue our title defense right back here on our field after the weekend.”

It was a 1-0 lead for the Eagles (13-0) at the break, as Mitch Ward continued to find success on the offensive frontlines, adding two more goals to his County-leading total with his first coming off an assist by Brent Zubikowski. In the second half, the hosts in black and green proceeded to take control of the field, as they added two more goals to finish off a strong night on offense with Ward adding his second of the game and 26th of the season. Beforehand, Fillmore made it a 2-0 lead with Zach Herring recording an unassisted tally.

In all, Fillmore outshot Genesee Valley (4-6-2) by a 21-2 total count in the shots department. Dylan Valentine made both stops for the Eagles to record the shutout. On the other end, Keegan McKnight was a busy body for the Jaguars, recording 18 stops.

The Jaguars season is over after they finish with an overall record of 5-6-2 in the condensed 2020 season. The team will graduate nine seniors at the end of the school year in McKnight, Will Scholes, Riley Gordon, Christian Tuttle, Devin Cline, Cody Platt, Riley Szymkowiak, Simon Whitney and Kegin Sweet.

As for Fillmore, they will make their return to the Class D1 Semifinal round beginning on Monday, where they will host No. 4 Arkport/Canaseraga for a spot in the Class D1 Finals on Wednesday. Early indication for first kick will be a 6 p.m. start in Fillmore.

“They will be a tough matchup for sure,” Mullen said. “Home field matters a lot, especially this year. I hope our boys are ready for a battle. I suspect Arkport/Canaseraga will be very similar to the Wellsville team we played earlier this year. Physical, tough. We will soon find out for ourselves.”

GIRLS SOCCER

Class C2 Quarters

No. 5 Bolivar-Richburg 3, No. 13 Pavilion 0

BOLIVAR — Not long after the final bell wrong out at Bolivar-Richburg Central School on Friday, the Lady Wolverines had another score to settle in the Class C2 Quarterfinal stage, where they hosted No. 13 Pavilion in an attempt to slingshot their way back into the semifinal round.

In the first half, Bolivar-Richburg had to work against their favor with the wind blowing directly in their faces. But it was no problem for Madigan Harris.

The Lady Wolverines sophomore star gave the team the early lead they were looking for in the first 40 minutes, fighting against the breeze to breeze herself on the way toward goal to set the tone for the offense, while the defense stood up the Lady Golden Gophers in the last 40 minute period, as they went on to account for two more second half goals to complete the 3-0 shutout of No. 13 Pavilion to advance to the Class C2 Semifinals.

“We played against the wind in the first half, and we played solid despite that,” said Lady Wolverines coach Mark Emery. “We took advantage of that in the second half going back the other way. Pavilion was tougher than we expected tonight, and coming into tonight, they weren’t the typical 13 seed after beating Naples to get here. We had a challenge, and the girls handled it very well. They were solid, and well-rounded with their effort. We keep progressing every game, and one of the factors is that everyone now is available. It’s nice to have them all there, and it has made a big difference.”

After battling through the first half of the opening period, Bolivar-Richburg (10-3-1) wasted no time after the brief break at the 20 minute mark to get on the board, as Harris delivered a big goal for the Lady Wolverines to jump out in front with a 1-0 lead, connecting with her twin sister McKinlee Harris on a pass provided to her to give the team the decisive lead at the break.

The goal gives Madigan Harris her 11th of the season. Combined as a unit with her sister McKinlee, the Harris siblings have accounted for 30 of the team’s goals at that point. Emery says that it’s only the beginning for his two breakout sophomores.

“Another thing that sticks out obviously, are the twins,” he said. “I’ve been watching them do it all for us all season long, and they keep progressing every game. Tonight I said at halftime, we had one goal but I saw them both create a bunch of opportunities for the kids. That’s what you’re looking for ideally as a coach, and it’s something that you love to see.”

Right around the same mark as the first Lady Wolverines goal, Bolivar-Richburg added their second to extend that lead to a pair with the next coming from Malayna Ayers, who was given a gift from Aliyah Cole way down the field, as the Lady Wolverines senior booted a heavy goal kick down the field, and just past midfield where Ayers broke loose from the Pavilion defense to put away her breakaway goal for the 2-0 lead.

To put away the game for good, McKinlee Harris added her 20th goal of the season with nearly six minutes left to play until the final horn, as she collects the pass provided off the foot of Kelsey Pacer from the wing to deliver the goods on what was a three-goal win for the hosts in black. In all, the Lady Wolverines outshot the Lady Golden Gophers with a 16-5 advantage in the shots department.

Paige Taylor recorded her fifth shutout of the season in between the pipes for the Lady Wolverines, making all five saves.

Bolivar-Richburg now has the pleasure of facing Class C2’s top seed in this year’s tournament - the Lady Blue Devils of Geneseo, a team that has given up just two goals the entire season, including one early on in the first half of their 2-1 victory over No. 8 Oakfield-Alabama/Elba that occurred later that night, on Monday in the Semifinal round. The game will take place in Geneseo, if no alternate site is announced. No first kick time has been declared, as of yet.

Emery says he knows the type of mountain his Lady Wolverines squad has to climb to make it to the top.

“We’ve talked about it since the start of the season,” the longtime Lady Wolverines coach said. “We knew Geneseo is out there, and we know what we’re up against. I don’t know if they’re doing State ranks or not, but if they are, they should be up there. They’ve only given up two goals all year. The challenge is right before us, and looking at it, we’re playing our best soccer ourselves. Why not us? It’s a great time to take that challenge. What you can hope for as a coach, is that the effort and continuity is coming together. You just hope it starts to crescendo.”