Thursday Roundup: Alfred-Almond rallies back after 1-0 halftime deficit, score 3 straight to capture 3-1 over And/Whi; Fillmore becomes first team to 10 wins this season with big home shutout of Avon

WHITESVILLE — It was a battle that saw both Alfred-Almond and Andover/Whitesville take a turn at swaying the winds of momentum across the first half, with an early possession game from the Lady Eagles putting the hosts on their feet early. Andover/Whitesville was able to stave off some of that pressure with the game’s first marker to take the lead going into the break.

The goal was to maintain the upper hand as much as they could when the second half arrived in its entirety. But for Alfred-Almond, they had other plans in store. Instead, the Lady Eagles shook the first half off and took all of Andover/Whitesville’s momentum away with not one nor two, but three straight goals in the first 10 minutes of play to set a resounding tone for the remainder of the game, as they veered ahead into the lead and towards an eventual 3-1 victory in Whitesville.

The Lady Eagles came out swinging with several opportunities to smash through the facade against Andover/Whitesville (2-8) in the first half, with their very first shot on goal ringing directly off the crossbar following a couple of nifty passes to work the ball up the field into the offensive zone. Not much time removed from that golden opportunity, Andover/Whitesville came right back and delivered a gigantic strike of their own with just over 10 minutes gone.

It commenced with a direct kick near the top of the 18 from Graci Lewis-Ellison — one that was perfectly pinpointed to the front of the Alfred-Almond net, finding the trap of Brynna Gaylord, who directed the shot right to the far post and in to break the ice for Andover/Whitesville with a 1-0 lead.

The advantage for the hosts remained intact, as they flip-flopped the momentum with Alfred-Almond and remained in control of their destiny. But not long after the start of the second half, the Lady Eagles would rewrite the script completely, with Astraea Cushing, Madelyn Levey and Noelle Emerson helping author the run, all scoring a goal in just over a seven-minute span to give them a two-goal lead they held intact permanently.

Alfred-Almond went on to finish with a narrow 8-7 advantage in the shot department over Andover/Whitesville, with Alexis Kuhn making six stops to preserve the comeback victory for the Lady Eagles. As for the hosts, Olivia Waters made five saves in between the posts on the opposite end of the pitch.

Andover/Whitesville will get set to host Bolivar-Richburg on Homecoming Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. right back in Whitesville.

Fillmore 1, Avon 0

FILLMORE — Defending Class D State Finalists Fillmore have organized one whale of a run since the beginning of their newest embarkment back towards glory again. After everything that the Lady Eagles have faced head on this past offseason, along with the rise of youthful talent, they have now put themselves in a position where one more win would send them over the top towards double-digit territory.

Two gigantic games in the next 72 hours are on tap for the Lady Eagles on their home field, beginning Thursday night with a visit from the Avon Lady Riverhawks that saw both teams lock horns for much of the battle ahead. The hosts would take complete advantage on offense to provide several loud knocks at the door of opportunity.

Fortunately enough, there was just one answer. Tenlee Miller had it, as she put away the only goal of the night midway through the first half to work Fillmore’s way out front of Avon for good, as the defense held the Lady Riverhawks in return to become Allegany County’s very first team to reach 10 wins on the season after delivering a 1-0 blank.

“Right out of the gate, we had to play with big energy,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “I thought our effort to get to the ball first helped us stay in control of the game. Our defense led by Mattie McCumiskey, Ryleigh Goodliff, Julia Beardsley, Lily Sisson and sub-Peyton Duvall are getting better all the time. Their play is actually starting to impact our offense, because they’re so solid. Tenlee had a rocket of a shot for the game winner. I also think our midfield is improving and we are learning to play through them from front to back. Avon plays games like this night in and night out where physically, you better come ready to play or you will be standing around watching your opponent. I thought we handled ourselves very well for a fairly youthful and underweight team.”

Miller’s goal for the Lady Eagles (10-0) rang in just after crossing the midway threshold at the 23rd minute, as she collected a phenomenal pass from Kallie Pastorius and launched a rocket straight to the top corner of the Avon cage, creating a jumbo-sized crack in the ice that allowed them to maintain their distance away from the Lady Riverhawks going forward.

The score stemmed off 16 total shots against the Lady Riverhawks, as they went on to claim a 16-4 overall advantage. In goal, Grace Clark made all four stops to record the shutout in between the posts for the hosts.

Fillmore is back on their home field Saturday night for a gargantuan Class D showdown, as they welcome in the Northstar Lady Knights for a rematch of last season’s Section V, Class D Finals, beginning at 6 p.m.