Friday Roundup: Early direct kick score allows Lady Lions to capture Lawrence Tourney crown in rain-shortened 1-0 shutout of A-A; GV/Belfast girls open season with 4-0 blank of Fri/Scio

[PHOTO PROVIDED]

COHOCTON — On what was a beautiful afternoon all day long on Friday, Mother Nature made the decision to wreak havoc across the Southern Tier on Friday. With torrential downpours, an endless sequence of thunder and lightning flashing and booming in the air, and even a tornado warning at one point during the night, it would see the postponements of multiple contests on the soccer pitch.

But for the Lady Lions of Wellsville, rain or shine, there was championship gold set within their sights. After a dominating victory over Letchworth to earn their place in the Craig Lawrence Tournament title game, they were now within striking distance of a 2-0 start to return home with. The lone obstacle blockading their path was the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles.

All that was needed to generate a clamorous and reverberant amount of noise was just four minutes. Just four.

Lexi Aftuck was the main conductor behind that, as the Lady Lions sophomore struck gold to earn the gold, posting a massive direct kick goal to give them a lead that wound up remaining glued together until the downpouring rain arrived in full at the Cohocton Sports Complex during the second half. Because of it, the game was officially called, allowing Wellsville to capture the Craig Lawrence crown with the 1-0 victory over Alfred-Almond.

“We had a goal taken away from us after the direct kick, but that did not really stop the girls from firing at the goal. Alfred-Almond watched us play Wednesday night, so they knew what kind of game we were going to bring,” Lady Lions coach Erica Aftuck said. “We made adjustments and we dominated the second half. Our defense played really well and Lydia (Kaye) played a major role as a field player tonight, using her big foot in the back. This is a big win for the girls, and I could not be more proud.”

Aftuck’s second of the season came with 36:01 displayed on the first half clock, as she capitalized on the game’s lone tally that allowed Wellsville (2-0) to remain in control of their own destiny from that point forward. After fighting tooth and nail right alongside Alfred-Almond across most of the second half, the curtain would eventually draw down on the action due to the severe weather, as the Lady Lions secured a perfect tenure at Wayland-Cohocton with the victory and the tournament’s title.

The goal was one of 25 shots Wellsville pasted against the Alfred-Almond cage, as they outshot the Lady Eagles by a 25-6 count. In net, Lydia Kaye recorded her second consecutive shutout in between the posts, making all six stops for the Lady Lions to do so.

Up next is a trip back home for the Lady Lions, as they prepare to host their first game of the season Tuesday night in the newly-renovated Lion’s Den, going up against the Portville Lady Panthers in a 7 p.m. first kick.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, Friendship/Scio 0 (game called at halftime, due to weather)

BELMONT — With the rain closing in quickly on Judy Bliven Field in Belmont, the race against time was on.

But an early start to the battle by host Genesee Valley/Belfast against visiting Friendship/Scio allowed them to take that giant leap forward towards bigger things as the game progressed, solidifying their lead with three more goals in the waning stages of the first half.

When halftime began to settle in for the next 10 minutes, the rain began to come down, and the thunder and lightning made their eventual appearance, which ultimately saw the end of battle officially, as Genesee Valley/Belfast’s 4-0 lead wound up being the final tally that clinched them their first win of the season.

“Opening nights can always be a little nerve-racking, but the girls came out ready to play tonight,” said GV/Belfast co-coach Duane Powers. “We’ve got a couple new starters in key positions and it was a good test for us to endure. Friendship/Scio has a good, young and scrappy team, but I’m pleased with the way we executed both on offense and defense. The wet conditions at times were tough, but the girls came out firing on all cylinders.”

Amongst them firing the cannons early? — Bayleigh Tallman, who recorded a first half hat trick to help set the tone for Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-0) right away, netting her first in the first five minutes of play by taking advantage of a pass sent along by Madison Yackeren to break the ice almost immediately.

The Genesee Valley/Belfast sophomore continued to deal more damage after a lengthy midfield battle between the two teams ensued across much of the remaining time left in the opening half, as she found another exploit against Friendship/Scio (0-1) and used it to net her second goal of the game down the stretch.

Her second score was the first of three consecutive markers in the first half’s final seven minutes of play, with Hannah Southwick-Powers finding her way onto the board for the very first time nearly a minute later off Yackeren’s second helper. Tallman would go on to finish off her hat trick in style with her third off a pass issued by Whitney Young with five seconds remaining.

But the game would see no more action develop from that point on, as Mother Nature’s mixed cocktail of rain, thunder and lightning all went on to force an early end to battle, eventually allowing Genesee Valley/Belfast to record their first win of the season.

The four goals came off 13 total shots applied against Friendship/Scio, while the defense did not allow a shot to reach their net in return. As for Friendship/Scio, Avery Lamberson went on to make nine saves in net. On Monday, Friendship/Scio will welcome Bolivar-Richburg to town for a 5 p.m. visit, in Friendship.

For Genesee Valley/Belfast, Charisma Metatos recorded the shutout in between the posts on the opposite end of the pitch. Up next, the team will get set to do battle with the Cuba-Rushford Lady Rebels on Wednesday, beginning at 5 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER

Hammondsport 5, Friendship/Scio 1

HAMMONDSPORT — Immediate responses can offset the balance of power in a humongous way.

After visiting Friendship/Scio got on the board down the homestretch of the opening half, the host Lakers of Hammondsport aimed to provide a rapid counterattack of their own. Friday night, their response was multiplied by five, as they closed out the first half with the lead and added three more goals across the second half to further cement their advantage, flooring it straight towards a 5-1 win over Friendship/Scio.

Through the vast majority of the opening half, Friendship/Scio (0-1) and Hammondsport battled for possession across the field leading up to the game’s first marker coming with nearly 11 minutes remaining. With 11:15 left on the clock, Cooper Greenman weaved his way through the Lakers defense to provide the icebreaking momentum burst for the visitors.

But it would not last long, as Hammondsport bounced right back with two straight goals in a four-minute span to close out the half, tilting the momentum in their favor with a 2-1 lead. At a rapid pace in the second half, the Lakers kept control firmly in their grasp, as they added to their lead with three more goals — two of them in the first 10 minutes of the session, to help pull away for good.

Hammondsport went on to outshoot Friendship/Scio by an 11-4 count, with Deacon Brown making six saves for the visitors.

Friendship/Scio is back in action this afternoon in Scio with a 1 p.m. first kick against Jasper-Troupsburg.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Hornell 3, Wellsville 2

HORNELL — On the volleyball court, match one of the new campaign for the Lady Lions of Wellsville was of thrilling variety on Friday against a longtime rival of the school — the Hornell Lady Red Raiders.

The opening set between the Lady Lions and Lady Red Raiders was exactly as advertised, as both squads traded countless barbs one after another to force extra serves out of the gate. It would ultimately set the pace for the remainder of the match, with all five sets being used in their entirety. In the end, the hosts in blue and red came away victorious with a narrow edge, squeezing past Wellsville with wins in the last three sets of play — a 26-28, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-12 triumph.

Despite the defeat, the Lady Lions (0-1) saw many outstanding performances unravel across the entire match, with Makenna Dunbar leading the offense with eight kills and six digs. Lindsay Stuck chipped in with 10 digs to go with five kills and five aces. Averee Palmatier added some more offensive firepower of her own with six additional kills, pairing them with four digs and a trio of blocks. Natalie Adams (five digs, four aces) and Teagan Burke (five aces, four digs) each posted three kills.

Statistics for Hornell were not made available to report upon publication.

The Lady Lions were back on the floor for tournament action this morning at Campbell-Savona. They will resume regular season play coming up on Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. visit to Houghton Academy.

GIRLS TENNIS

Wellsville 5, Addison 0

ADDISON — Just 24 hours expunged from a masterful debut on their home court, the defending Class B2 Champion Lady Lions of Wellsville took their talents over the road for the first time on Friday before the severe weather made its eventual arrival across the area.

Identical to their season opening match against Fillmore back on Thursday, the Lady Lions simply did not lose a beat when they paid a visit to the Addison Lady Knights, as they took care of business in style with another 5-0 sweep of the action to continue their strong start of the young campaign.

Paving the lane towards major success once again for Wellsville (2-0) were the singles trio of Samantha Bidzerkowny, Hanna Miles and Peyton Cawley, as each Lady Lion scored a straight-set victory over their respective opponents, with Bidzerkowny’s 6-0, 6-3 win over Addison’s Alex Boutelle at first singles leading the pack. Miles followed behind at second singles with a strong 6-1, 6-1 win over Hadleigh Watson, while Cawley knocked off Claire Thompson with a 6-0, 6-2 win.

In the doubles matches, the first doubles team of Sarah Mattison and Caitlin Bittel orchestrated a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Kaylee and Chelsea Keech. To finish off the match win, the second doubles duo of McKenna Wonderling and Jaiden Edwards pieced together a 6-1, 6-2 victory of their own over Zadie Vitulli and Leah Baker.

Wellsville hits the road once again Monday night with a 5 p.m. visit to Avoca-Prattsburgh.

Singles

1. Samantha Bidzerkowny (WLSV) def. Alex Boutelle (ADD), 6-0, 6-3.

2. Hanna Miles (WLSV) def. Hadleigh Watson (ADD), 6-1, 6-1.

3. Peyton Cawley (WLSV) def. Claire Thompson (ADD), 6-0, 6-2.

Doubles

1. Sarah Mattison/Caitlin Bittel (WLSV) def. Kaylee Keech/Chelsea Keech (ADD), 6-1, 6-1.

2. McKenna Wonderling/Jaiden Edwards (WLSV) def. Zadie Vitulli/Leah Baker (ADD), 6-1, 6-2.

Avoca-Prattsburgh 4, Fillmore 1

HOUGHTON — Although Indigo Knapp helped the Lady Eagles of Fillmore garner their first victory of the young season on the tennis court, the visiting Avoca-Prattsburgh Lady Titans took control of the match from start to finish at Houghton University to leave town victorious with four victories of the five matches in action, as they completed what was a 4-1 win.

The win for Knapp was the very first in her Varsity career at third singles for the Lady Eagles (0-2), as she battled Avoca-Prattsburgh’s Mariah Bryan through thick and thin to deliver a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

“Avoca-Prattsburgh is a solid, experienced team. We are pretty young and we are still learning the game. We get a little better every time out, and we will be better prepared when we see them in a few weeks,” said Lady Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “Huge congratulations to Indie on her first career win. No player in either of my tennis programs has more enthusiasm, or has spent more time working on her game in the last year, than her. I am really glad to see it pay off for her tonight.”

The Lady Titans collected the remaining four victories in the match to clinch the overall victory at the end of the night, two of them coming courtesy of a doubles sweep. Leading the charge was the team of Nataley Patoine and Olivia Mullen at first singles, as they went past Fillmore’s Kirra Bentley and Greta Kettinger with a 6-2, 6-3 victory. At second doubles, the team of Rylie Skelly and Gabrielle Wheaton hung tough and warded off the Fillmore duo of Lena Tucker and Victoria Tetta with a 6-2, 7-5 victory.

In singles action, Genevieve Dabby recorded a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Clair Schilke, while Camryn Moore issued a 6-0, 6-0 shutout against Molly Mahoney at second singles.

Fillmore is back at it Monday night, visiting Alfred-Almond in a 5 p.m. first serve.

Singles

1. Genevieve Dabby (A-P) def. Clair Schilke (FIL), 6-1, 6-1.

2. Camryn Moore (A-P) def. Molly Mahoney (FIL), 6-0, 6-0.

3. Indigo Knapp (FIL) def. Mariah Bryan (A-P), 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles

1. Nataley Patoine/Olivia Mullen (A-P) def. Kirra Bentley/Greta Kettinger (FIL), 6-2, 6-3.

2. Rylie Skelly/Gabrielle Wheaton (A-P) def. Lena Tucker/Victoria Tetta (FIL), 6-2, 7-5.