FLYING HIGH: Fillmore boys, girls soccer move one step closer to States, advance to this weekend’s Far West behind shutouts of NDB, Finney

Fillmore sophomore Grace Russell (3) splits the Notre Dame-Batavia defense on her way into the offensive zone during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

The Lady Eagles come together to celebrate their first goal scored by senior Torann Wolfer (22) during the first half of Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier against Notre Dame-Batavia, in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore junior Malory DeRock (16) collides with the Notre Dame-Batavia defense for the loose ball near midfield during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore senior Zoe Beardsley, middle, looks to send the ball downfield while under pressure from the Notre Dame-Batavia defense during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore senior Sophia Templeton (1) looks to assume control of possession while under pressure from the Notre Dame-Batavia defense during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore senior Emily Krzeminski (7) turns up the pressure against the Notre Dame-Batavia attacker near midfield during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

PERRY — Since the end of September, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore have put together some of their best soccer to put on display. Just how good? — Try nine straight shutouts, including to teams like Olean, Gananda, Honeoye, and Marion to win the Sectional title on Saturday.

For a team that has scored 42 goals in that span, it’s a bit difficult to grasp the idea of overcoming adversity. But there have been times where, despite holding a lead in pretty much all of their games this season, the star-studded Lady Eagles have found themselves under the gun. But what makes head coach Jon Beardsley’s group so special is not just holding a special skillset, or anything remotely of the like. It’s something deeper.

Their love for the game.

“They love the game, and it makes it easier for me when they love playing,” he said. “They don’t take it too seriously, they’re not overthinkers, which sometimes can happen with good teams that get worried that things are going to happen. They just go with the flow, and I think mentally, they’re one of the stronger groups that I’ve had. Obviously, you can’t really tell how we handle adversity because we've been fortunate enough to keep winning. But there have been games where they try to plug away when the game isn’t going where they want it to go.”

The last time the Lady Eagles were in Perry, it was a bone-chilling experience, physically and metaphorically. It was a night against eventual State Finalist Kendall that still stings to this day. But three years later, a presentation for an opportunity of their own to make the same run.

Since then, three Lady Eagles have budded into Senior leaders — Zoe Beardsley, Sophia Templeton and Torann Wolfer to help guide a talented team through any obstacle in their way. Because of it, they were able to win their second Class D1 championship in three seasons, with a chance to add more to the showcase on Tuesday.

“Zoe in particular, she was one of those kids on team when we lost to Bolivar-Richburg in a shootout. The next year, Sophia and Torann were with her when we lost to Kendall. Now those Senior leaders, with the amazing young talent underneath them, they have all developed a really great chemistry. They led the way with what it takes to get to that point, and those younger girls are helping out by providing some magic of their own.”

The last hurdle standing in the way of the Lady Eagles and a point where the program has not gone in over 20 years, was back-to-back Class D2 champion Notre Dame-Batavia.

The main premise behind the Lady Eagles and their game they possess, especially through Sectionals, was to start fast. In all three games leading up to the Class D State Qualifier, the team has managed to find the back of the net on multiple occasions within the first five minutes of play.

Just like those previous matchups, Fillmore has gone on to conquer it all. They would do so again.

The Lady Eagles found their edge once more in the beginning minutes of the game, as their offense came alive to begin another massive outburst on the frontlines, scoring their first goal just three minutes removed to set a tone that the Lady Irish could not meet for the remainder of the night, as Fillmore took the victory in every category — the possession, the tempo, the game itself and their first Class D Far West Regional berth since 1999 in what was a 5-0 shutout of Notre Dame-Batavia.

“I hope we don’t use up all these quick starts, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. You get this far, and you’re just thankful to be at this point,” Beardsley said. “Getting those early goals in the games leading up to this one, and tonight where the team is questioning when we are really good, and we go out there and do that, it was deflating. That momentum is something we carried all game, and hopefully it’s something that we can keep going.”

The Lady Eagles (20-0) scored a 3-0 lead to carry into the break, getting another hot start under their belts in the first three minutes with Torann Wolfer scoring the first of two on the night off a corner provisioned by Sophia Templeton. With the corner sailing in on goal, it was met with Wolfer’s head to knock the ball into the far side of the Lady Irish net for an initial 1-0 lead.

Despite the defense hiccupping a quick chance for Notre Dame-Batavia to try and tie the game, the Lady Eagles did not lose momentum with Grace Russell starting their next big play off with possession near midfield. With it, she sent a feed straight up the gut to Hope Russell, who engaged in a 1-on-1 battle all the way in on goal and wins it, unloading a shot to the near side of the post for a 2-0 lead just past the 10 minute mark.

Fillmore would go on to make it three with under five minutes left in the half with Hope Russell’s second of the game, led by Templeton’s latest rush into the Notre Dame-Batavia, which helped set up another corner kick opportunity to strike. With it, it was finished off by Russell, who dug the ball loose in the midst of a scrum in front of the cage after a couple of initial blocks by the Lady Irish, burying the second chance ball to give them the extended lead to airlift into the break.

As if the pressure couldn’t mount any more than where it was to start the second half, the Lady Eagles saw it boil over with three straight chances in the first three minutes, but fortunately enough for the Lady Irish, none of the chances were finished to keep them out of the net.

The Lady Eagles, however, would find their way into the net right near the 10 minute mark off the board with Wolfer’s second tally of the game, recording it off of Beardsley’s direct kick from just outside Notre Dame-Batavia’s 18, heading the team’s fourth tally into the back of the net.

The scoring was finished off not even 30 seconds later by the Class D1 Champs on special teams. After a handball was committed inside their own box, the Lady Irish were faced with stopping a penalty kick from the boot of Grace Russell, which ultimately found it’s way into the net to compete an 17-shot night on offense.

On the other end on defense, the Lady Eagles held Notre Dame-Batavia at a standstill on offense, allowing just a couple of chances to reach the zone, as they only let up four shots onto their cage with Preslee Miller making all four stops to record one of her biggest shutouts of the season to help the team advance forward to the Far West Regional.

A spot that Beardsley’s program has not been in since 1999.

“There was a lot of great soccer in between, but I think it just speaks to how hard it is to get to these spots,” Beardsley said. “I speak to the kids all the time, the kids that haven’t been around, they might not fully understand it but they just go out and play. They’re good soccer players that have put in a lot of work these past couple of weeks to get to where they are. .They’re playing their best soccer, and they’re not leaving much doubt either. The defense is rock solid, and we’ve played two teams now that have really great forwards that we’ve been able to neutralize.”

As far as describing their first trip back to the Regional, Beardsley said he is more than thankful.

“Thankfullness. I keep saying to the kids, we have to appreciate these opportunities,” he said. “We weren’t able to do that last year at all because of COVID, even if we had won Sectionals. I think over these times the past few years, you realize it more, but knowing the success of our program and not having gone to the Regional since 1999, I think we realize how difficult it is. It’s just about enjoying the moment, because you never know when it’s going to end.”

Now with his team now putting the exclamation point on their 20th win of the season, and more importantly, a trip to the Class D Far West Regional this weekend, it was the boys turn to do the same against Class D2 champion C.G. Finney.

“They’ve been dealt a tough hand of adversity when it comes to dealing with the stupid weather lately,” said Beardsley. “They’re a resilient bunch, but Jamie (Mullen) knows how to get the best out of them. They’re an even better great group, and Finney has a great group as well. We’re going to get out to the bus and warm up before we come right back out here to cheer them on.”

The Eagles come together to celebrate the night’s lone goal scored by senior Graham Cahill, middle, during the first half of Tuesday’s Class D State Qualifier against C.G. Finney, in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore sophomore Jack Cool (12) jousts with the C.G. Finney attacker near midfield during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore senior Deen Muzaid-Omar (11) looks to make a move downfield on the attack while being watched by the C.G. Finney defense during Tuesday night’s Class D State Qualifier in Perry. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

So, how exactly did the boys fare?

Through the first half of play in the nightcap, both Class D2 champion C.G. Finney and Class D1 champion Fillmore weaved their way through what was a close-quarters, old school midfield battle through the blowing snow and cold winds.

Both teams were still attempting to figure out one another as time went on.

Through the war, almost every 50/50 ball through the air was a battle to the end, and it was one that mainly had to be won on the ground. Coming down the stretch in the opening half, the Eagles were presented with a chance to strike first against a Falcons team that remained hopeful of doing the same.

With three minutes left on the clock, one of many corner kicks for the Eagles all throughout the night was presented. And it was one they wanted the most.

The corner kick would be responsible for formulating the night’s only goal, as the Eagles got the right touch on the ball in front of the C.G. Finney net to put it away, giving them a lead that was threatened during the second half, but never given up, as Fillmore followed suit with the Lady Eagles by clinching their second Far West Regional spot in the last three seasons with a narrow 1-0 shutout of the Falcons to end the night in Perry.

“There was a lot of battling, and every 50/50 ball was contested,” Eagles coach Jamie Mullen said. “It was an old school battle in the midfield, and it was what they were committed to. They didn’t have a lot of guys forward, and they were keeping it in front of us. For the most part, they did. The only thing that I felt bad for with Mitch (Ward) and everyone else, was if Mitch got through one of those five chances. There wasn’t enough on the finishes, and we have to finish that up. It can change the whole complexion of the game when it could have been 3-0 or 4-0.”

The Eagles (18-2) were able to start their night strong with a solid chance from Mitch Ward right from the blow of the opening whistle, as he took a sailing ball downfield from Matt Majoris and carried it into the zone. Before pushing the tempo one step further, he was challenged by the C.G. Finney goalkeeper for the loose ball, which was covered up to halt the remainder of the play.

Since the chance, time continued to tick away while both teams re-engaged in their midfield battle across the opening half. It would allow the Eagles to grab a jump on a possession that would reward them with back-to-back corner kicks in the waning minutes.

The latter of which would come in the form of the night’s lone goal of the contest off the foot of Deen Muzaid-Omar, who sent the ball straight out front to the Falcons cage. After numerous attempts to whack at the loose ball inside the box, it was dug free by Graham Cahill, who sent it into the back of the net unnoticed to give Fillmore the 1-0 lead they would never lose for the remainder of the game.

“That was by design,” said Mullen of the goal. “We wanted to go on the baseline, and we wanted to stick with the corners at the same time. So many teams want to go right up the gut, but we were able to get our 10 corner kicks tonight. I told the guys, if you get 10 corners, you’re going to end up scoring off one, and they did. We’ve done that very well all year long. Is it the greatest kind of soccer in the universe? No, but it wins games.”

In the second half, the Eagles had to remain pat and hold their breath for their defense to take over shop. Both teams came back together once more for a raging midfield battle that continued to see no end in sight. Each team would record a scoring chance, with Layton Sanasith providing a phenomenal skip past the Falcons defense into the offensive zone to Ward, splitting the defense on his way in the process, but the goal was covered up a short time later on the rush.

On the other end, the Falcons foresaw their best opportunity to tie the game on a cross across the front of the Eagles net, which nearly met a header on the near side of the post, but exited the field of play to end the threat.

As a result, the Eagles defense was able to withstand their ground and keep C.G. Finney out of their offensive zone for good to seal up their second trip to the Far West Regional in three seasons.

“Anything is possible, and people won’t believe it but the fact that I get to go to practice for three more days with these guys, is incredible,” Mullen said. “They did some things for me this past week, got some gifts and it was a pretty heartfelt past few days. You start to see these kids start to grow into adults. We have a ball with these guys whenever we can, and I hated practice when I was a player. These guys come, and they’re eager and willing to work, and they love being around each other. We get to go another week, what more could you ask for?”

The Eagles recorded 12 total shots while only allowing three opportunities back the other way on defense against C.G. Finney, with Luke Colombo making all three stops to preserve the shutout in between the posts.

This weekend has been build to become one to remember for the entire Fillmore district itself. After already clinching Sectional titles in both soccer fields, there was a chance for the Eagles to record one last championship to complete the coveted and rare Triple Crown feat for the Fall season.

That lays solely upon the Lady Eagles volleyball squad, who advanced to Friday’s Class D3 Finals in LeRoy after a straight-set sweep of Arkport/Canaseraga in Geneseo earlier in the night. You can read more about that game back in the previous article.

As far as the success being felt schoolwide, Mullen said it’s something that has made him proud to be a part of.

“This is basically Remember The Titans, except it’s Remember The Eagles,” he said. “I love Fillmore, and the best thing about it is that these kids aren’t just athletes. They are athletes, and scholar. Mitch is most likely going to be the Valedictorian of his class when it comes time to graduate, they all do musicals, the list goes on and on. We out-private the private schools. We just do, and I’m so proud of these guys. They’re not one-dimensional people, they’re going to grow up to be doctors and lawyers, and they’re going to go onto college. This is just one facet of excellence that Fillmore kids are all about, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

As for both soccer squads, their tremendous run through Sectionals will look to end on one of the biggest positive notes of all with a trip to the State Final Four. Each team will have their hand at Section VI, Class D champion Ellicottville, with the Lady Eagles getting first crack coming up on Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. at Caledonia-Mumford.

A win will allow them entry into the State Final Four, which will begin next Saturday at SUNY Cortland.

The boys will spring back into action Saturday afternoon at Williamsville South, where they face Ellicottville for a chance to clinch their second trip to the State Final Four in three years at Middletown, one week after.

First kick for their Far West Regional contest is slated for a 2:30 p.m. start.