Monday Roundup: C-G charges up enormous 1st half, set tone with 5-0 shutout of Lady Rebels; Lady Lions rebound back home, blank B-R; Wellsville boys edged in shootout with Keshequa

CANISTEO — They weren’t able to make one another’s acquaintances during the inaugural Tri-County Cup last month in Cuba. But on Monday, Cuba-Rushford and Canisteo-Greenwood collided in full force for their first and only meeting of the season in the Canisteo Valley.

For the Lady Rebels, it was an opportunity to get back into the win column in the biggest of ways. But for the Lady Chargers, an opportunity to continue playing some red hot soccer with Sectionals beginning to close in.

Everything the game had to offer was up for grabs, and for one team, they needed just the first 40 minutes to set the tone immediately. That being the hosts in red and white, as they came out swinging with authority against the Lady Rebels with four big first half goals from four different scorers, allowing them to capture a lead they would never lose while adding one more in the second half for good measure, en route to a 5-0 home shutout.

Right near the three minute mark of the opening half, Riley Winans was the first to strike for Canisteo-Greenwood. After Cuba-Rushford (5-6) had trouble clearing their own defensive zone at first, the Lady Chargers took full advantage of it a short time later with her score, digging the ball free from the Lady Rebels defense to post a 1-0 lead.

Just past the 10 minute mark, the lead grew for the Lady Chargers with a score from Kahley Stewart, as the offense kept pinning the Cuba-Rushford defense pinned deep on the next scoring transition down the field, where a series of passes ultimately landed on the foot of Stewart, putting enough power on the shot to squeeze it into the next.

The Lady Chargers would take full control from all angles, allowing Mya Rexford to become the next scorer to find the back of the Cuba-Rushford net with 15 minutes left, as she fronted the next offensive rush after a throw-in near midfield, weaving her way past the Lady Rebels defense on the way in. The first half scoring was finished off by Lillian Mullen after a corner kick was redirected back out towards her near the top of the 18, firing a shot right back in that would slip underneath Lilly Johnson-Clark in goal and into the net for a 4-0 halftime lead.

Canisteo-Greenwood would add one last score in the second half of play to further cement their triumphant performance to begin the new week.

Further statistics on the battle were not made available to report upon publication.

Cuba-Rushford will continue their road swing later on in the week, as they prepare to visit the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines in a 5 p.m. first kick on Thursday.

Wellsville 4, Bolivar-Richburg 0

WELLSVILLE — After Saturday afternoon’s battle against Genesee Valley/Belfast, the Lady Lions of Wellsville wanted to leave that battle in the rearview mirror for good. A conversation was had between the Lady Lions and head coach Erica Aftuck right before the team made their grand entrance to the field.

The message? — Come together.

With the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg in town, the Lady Lions hoped to deliver on that promise. They would claim the game’s first lead near the midway mark of the opening half, heading into the break with the narrow lead. But when the second half came around, Wellsville officially came back together.

Across 10-minute intervals beginning almost immediately out of the gate in the second half, the Lady Lions demonstrated an outstanding second half of soccer, scoring three more tallies to further cushion their advantage while keeping the Lady Wolverines off the board complete, helping seal what was a 4-0 shutout at home to officially complete their rebounding performance.

“After our first game on Saturday, everyone was pretty frustrated,” said Lady Lions coach Erica Aftuck. “I’d say that was the first game all season we lost because we didn’t give it our all. Tonight, before the game, we talked about pulling it together and going back to playing like we did at the start of the season. All out, all game long. Makenzie (Cowburn) set the tone with a big direct kick to get the first half lead and give us confidence. We weren’t letting down. Lydia (Kaye) had some outstanding saves, which could have been game-changers. I am proud of the entire team, and everyone contributed tonight. This was a fun game.”

Makenzie Cowburn was able to take control of Wellsville’s (4-9-1) offense right near the 25-minute mark, as she earned a direct kick opportunity and capitalized on every bit of it from the 15-yard line to break the ice with a 1-0 lead they would hold all the way to the first half break.

Cowburn would keep the momentum on her side by making a rush into the Bolivar-Richburg (4-7) zone after a longball was sent in by the Lady Lions, picking it up and burying it home near side to claim a big lead extension in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Lizzy Seely was the next to reach the board at the 22:03 mark to grab a 3-0 Wellsville lead, as she broke away from the Lady Wolverines defense alongside Jaden Dunbar to her left. Dunbar provided the initial shot straight on goal, which created a big rebound on the other side for Seely to one-tap home to the near post.

The scoring concluded with 14:24 left to play, as Caelyn Stevens knocked home a shot straight to the top shelf after picking up a pass from her left from Carissa White. The four goals by the Lady Lions came off 28 total shots, as they outshot Bolivar-Richburg by a 28-4 count.

In net, Lydia Kaye made all four saves to record the shutout, while Caitlyn Steiner made 24 saves for the visitors, who now hit the road for a 5 p.m. visit to Avoca/Prattsburgh on Wednesday.

The Lady Lions will now hit the road themselves later on in the week, as they now begin preparations for a 7 p.m. visit under the lights against the undefeated Fillmore Lady Eagles.

BOYS SOCCER

Bolivar-Richburg 1, Genesee Valley/Belfast 1

BOLIVAR — In their previous two meetings — Genesee Valley/Belfast’s home tournament at the very beginning of the season, and just 11 days later, their first regular season League meeting right back at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast, each team has shared a couple of common denominators: a win and a loss.

In what was deemed the rubber match between Genesee Valley/Belfast and Bolivar-Richburg, something had to give for one team to come out on top with the series-clincher on Monday at Dunsmore-Latimer Field in Bolivar.

But after a goal was scored in each half, the defenses began to hunker down for the remainder of the second half and the foreseeable future ahead. After 100 complete minutes of hard-fought soccer, both teams would come together and settle for their first tie of the season, as both Genesee Valley/Belfast and Bolivar-Richburg advanced to 6-4-1 on the season following a 1-1 deadlock.

After some long-term battling across the midfield between both teams, where opportunities would come and go. But the momentum would pick up right at the tail end of the half, when the Wolverines (6-4-1) found their opening to break through the Genesee Valley/Belfast. With 1:21 left to go, Aydin Sisson was presented with a massive corner kick opportunity deep in the offensive zone. On the chance, he sent a perfect cross to the left side of the cage where Gary McDowell waited for it with a header, sending it far side for what would be a 1-0 lead at the break.

Going into the second half, Bolivar-Richburg looked to maintain all momentum to keep the pressure on Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-4-1), but the visitors in white and black had other plans right away, as they tied the game just over four minutes after the opening kick on a score from Evan Turybury off a pass from Callahan Tallman.

The score would remain deadlocked all the way to end, as the two teams officially settled on a 1-1 tie.

Genesee Valley/Belfast narrowly outshot Bolivar-Richburg by a narrow 10-8 decision, with Kyle McCumiskey making seven saves for the visitors. On the other end of the field, David Abdo made nine saves for the Wolverines.

Both teams are back in action Wednesday night on their home fields, as Genesee Valley/Belfast heads back home to Judy Bliven Field in Belmont for a 7 p.m. kick with Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg, while Bolivar-Richburg welcomes in undefeated Fillmore in a 5 p.m. contest of their own.

Keshequa 4, Wellsville 3

NUNDA — Wellsville and Keshequa came together to put an all-offensive slugfest on full display at Kiwanis Park on Monday, as the two squads combined to record seven goals across a back-and-forth affair.

The largest lead either team would grasp onto all throughout the night was two. The momentum remained with Keshequa going to the break and coming back out, as they managed to branch their lead out even further. But a late Lions comeback allowed them to tilt the power balance in their favor, tying the game.

But for Keshequa’s Ian Hinrich, he accounted for all three of the goals at that point to ignite the offense. With nearly five minutes left, Hinrich connected with his fourth goal of the game to put the hosts in orange and black ahead for good, as they captured a wild 4-3 home victory.

Just 15 minutes into the contest, Hinrich struck gold with his first tally off a throw-in on the sideline. After a one-touch forward pass in his direction, Hinrich was able to dig it free between two Wellsville (2-10) defenders, sliding it behind Gavin Haggerty in the process to break the ice. Just past the midway mark, the Lions clawed back to tie the game at one on an Ethan Bailey direct kick which was headed straight into the net by Cam Lyons.

Keshequa was able to garner the lead back before the half reached its conclusion after a back pass in front of the Wellsville net hit Hinrich in stride with 16:38 left to go, scoring it a short time later to the far side to claim the 2-1 lead. Hinrich would then go on to finish off his hat trick in the early stages of the second half after a battle in the far corner sees him earn possession in the middle of the net, firing the ball in to go up by a pair.

As time progressed, Wellsville was able to dig their way back to within reach with back-to-back goals to tie the game, both propelled by Bailey, as he helped set up the second score on another direct kick into the Keshequa zone, where a skip off the top of the head from Cameron Dodge weaved its way into the net. Moments later, Bailey himself tied the game with a goal of his own after prying the ball free from the defense after a deep boot down field.

Despite the tie, Keshequa was able to take care of the victory with Hinrich’s fourth of the game, making a run past a pair of Lions defenders on the way into the zone with nearly five minutes left to play, finishing the back-and-forth battle with the last punch.

Further in-depth statistics were not made available to report upon publication.

Wellsville will return to the field Saturday morning back home, as they welcome in the undefeated Fillmore Eagles for an 11 a.m. visit to the Den.

Fillmore 4, Marion 0

FILLMORE — The undefeated Fillmore Eagles were given a run for their money across the first 40 minutes of play, with the Marion Black Knights posing a big challenge right out of the gate on Monday, despite falling behind in the first five minutes.

Within a stone’s throw of the lead, the Black Knights were hot on their trail going into the second half. But like the Eagles have been able to do for much of the season, they’ve been able to fight back in the biggest of ways, as they used the last 40 minutes to their fullest of advantages to score the remaining three goals to break away from Marion’s grasp with a 4-0 shutout win — their 12th straight.

“It was a huge non-league win for us at home tonight against a very tough Marion squad. It was a 1-0 affair until midway through the second half when we were able to get a pair of goals a minute apart to put the game out of reach,” said Eagles coach Jarrett Vosburg. “Nolan (Krzeminski) had an excellent game as our sweeper, stemming their attacks and helping to spring our own offensive breakouts. Jack (Cool) and Zach (Sisson) had big games for us defensively in the center of the field helping to blunt their attack and begin our offensive transition.”

The Eagles (12-0) saw one of their top scorers reignite their offensive flame again at the front line, as Henry Sardina dug his way free and towards the Marion net after the first of two Nolan Krzeminski assists worked towards his direction at the 35:17 mark, breaking the ice. The lead would hold in the midst of a heated battle across the field with the Black Knights that would last through the end of the opening half and into the next.

Little by little, Fillmore continued to chip away at their opposition. But with just over 10 minutes gone, the Eagles remained resilient, as they went back-to-back in a 60-second span to officially push the game out of reach for Marion, as Layton Sanasith and Zach Sisson recorded the big scores for the hosts off helpers fed along by Jack Cool and Krzeminski, respectively.

If there was any doubt left remaining, there was none with five minutes to go off Isaiah Sisson’s marker, fed along by Eben Schilke to close the game out.

“I remain pleased with how balanced our attack is, and how many guys are able to contribute in big ways on any given night,” said Vosburg. “Overall, this was just the type of gritty win we needed as we start a tough stretch to end our season. For Marion to drive almost two hours and play well as they did is a testament to just how good they are, and how well-coached they are. Any game against them in Sectionals will be a tough one.”

The four tallies for the Eagles accounted for off 17 total shots against the Black Knights, as they outscored the opposition by a 17-4 count. All four Marion shots against the defense were put aside by Brayden Hennard in net to secure the shutout.

The Eagles are back on the field Wednesday night over the road, as they prepare for a big 5 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg.

Houghton Academy 4, Lima Christian 0

HOUGHTON — The Panthers of Houghton Academy used the first 40 minutes of play to lay the brickwork down against visiting Lima Christian on Monday, surviving an early battle with the Saints that saw no scoring take place. But in the next session, the Panthers began to build right in the first 10 minutes of play, as they scored four big markers to springboard ahead and towards a 4-0 shutout win on Monday.

“We made improvements after halftime, and we tried to be a little bit better with our communication,” said Panthers coach Jeff Prentice. “We did things much better. It was a nice way to get rebounded, and take that big step forward as the season starts winding down.”

After a scoreless tie between both squads at the break, Houghton Academy (4-7-1) found a way to break through in a big way within the first 10 minutes by way of Ricky Song, scoring the first of his two goals off a big pass sent along by Jack Prentice to help break the ice. Towards the halfway mark, the lead grew to a pair with Bao Le’s marker off a pass from John Habecker.

The Panthers defense would hold Lima Christian in check while keeping their lead intact entering the last 10 minutes of play, where they added their last two goals from both Song and Josh Davidson in a span of 2:56 to further cement the rebounding victory.

The four goals came off 25 total shots applied against the Saints, as they outshot their opposition by a massive 25-5 count. The five shots by the visitors were all set aside by Marco Zanini in goal for the Panthers to record the shutout.

Houghton Academy is back on their home pitch Friday night, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. visit from Bolivar-Richburg.

Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg 8, Friendship/Scio 1

SCIO — The rebound was in full effect for Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg on Monday, as they witnessed Robert Bradley record a nine-point night on offense against host Friendship/Scio to propel towards a big 8-1 victory in Scio.

Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg (5-7) collected four goals in each half of play, all coming after the hosts were able to reach the board first with Cooper Greenman’s score on a pass sent along by Connor Blouvet to break the ice.

The lead for Friendship/Scio (1-12) would shrink later on, with four different scorers all posting markers for Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg including Bradley, as Oliver Smith, Colton Calladine and Brody Vance all helped create a 4-1 lead over Friendship/Scio in the last 10 minutes going into the break. Vance and Bradley would record assists along the way.

The momentum remained in the favor of the visitors for the remainder of the game in the second half, as they went on to score four more goals — three more from Bradley to finish off his hat trick, and then some. In the midst of Bradley’s outstanding game, Brody Vance would record his second of the game at the 32:46 mark of the second half to help extend the lead.a

The eight goals by Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg were posted off 17 total shots, as they outshot Friendship/Scio by a 17-3 count. In net, Derek Perkins was awarded the win behind two saves, while Deacon Brown made nine saves for the hosts in black and gold.

Both teams are back on the field Wednesday night on the road, as Andover/Whitesville-Jasper-Troupsburg prepares for a 7 p.m visit to Judy Bliven Field in Belmont to take on Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Friendship/Scio heads north to visit Lima Christian in a 5 p.m. first kick.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Fillmore 3, Arkport/Canaseraga 0

FILLMORE — Although their win streak was extinguished last week, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore still remain as hot than ever on Monday, as they used a brilliant start to their game in the opening set to set the pace against visiting Arkport/Canaseraga, recording the straight-set victory — their seventh in the last nine games, in a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 decision inside The Rock.

The defense was paced by Eevie Cox once again for the Lady Eagles (7-5), as she battled all across the floor to keep the ball in the air with a seven dig performance, pairing them with four aces from the service line. On offense, Savannah Hosmer recorded three kills and three additional aces, while Ava Sylvester had three aces and two kills to add.

Fillmore is back in action over the road Wednesday night, as they prepare to visit the Wellsville Lady Lions in a 7:30 p.m. first serve.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 3, Canisteo-Greenwood 2

CANISTEO — It was an incredible battle from start to finish in the Canisteo Valley on Monday, as Genesee Valley/Belfast and host Canisteo-Greenwood fought tooth and nail through thick and thin all game long. But at the end of it all, visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to create enough of an opening in the fifth and final set to swipe away a five-set win over the Lady Chargers.

Leading the offense was Liliana Porter-Long, who scored nine team-high kills to go with five aces. Madison McKenzie pitched in a strong offensive effort of her own with five kills and five aces, while setter Cassidy Hand dished out 17 helpers to go with four aces.

Set scores were not made available to report.

Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-9) will have a 7 p.m. first serve in store for Wednesday night at Houghton Academy.

Ellicottville 3, Hinsdale 0

HINSDALE — The Ellicottville Lady Eagles were able to take care of business in strong fashion on the road in Hinsdale, Monday night, as they left town victorious with a straight-set, 25-9, 25-17, 25-15 sweep of the Lady Bobcats.

Statistics for the Lady Bobcats (1-9) were not made available to report upon publication.

Up next, Hinsdale will prepare for a 6 p.m. visit to Keshequa on Wednesday.