Monday Roundup: After tough fight vs. Keshequa, Lions rally back for 3rd tie in first 4 games with 1-1 deadlock; Defending C2 Champ C-R rolls past rival B-R, 4-1 in Semifinal rematch

WELLSVILLE — To say that the Lions of Wellsville have fought to the bitter end since the start of the season, would be an understatement.

They have been within striking distance in all four games, including Monday night’s home opener under the lights against Keshequa. The deciding factor in each of their first three games leading up to their clash against the Wildcats has been a single goal, with ties against Alfred-Almond and Bath-Haverling sandwiched between their first win of the season over Wayland-Cohocton.

It was no different in game number four of their campaign.

After a first half filled with fierce activity that allowed the Wildcats to capitalize, the Lions found a way to respond after applying the pressure late, carrying it over into the last 40 minutes of regulation to tie the game and force extra time. When the final chapter was written, both teams remained on level playing ground after 100 complete minutes, as they each settled on a 1-1 draw — the third for Wellsville in their first four games.

“The effort was there,” Lions coach Bethany Faulkner said. “We owe Cole White a lot for covering (Ian) Hinrich. Our defense is really stepping up and playing well, especially after this effort tonight. We essentially lost a player due to covering Hinrich and I think it took us a little too long to find our rhythm with the change. But despite that, these boys just keep battling to the very end for 100 minutes. That’s something that takes a lot of heart to do.”

Following an explosive chance for the Lions right out of the gate, Keshequa began to fire up the pistons themselves, and quickly. Behind the use of some excellent ball movement to work it up field, they were able to garner their first prime opportunity and eventual score beginning from Seth Ebersole at midfield, as he shelled out a pass right up the middle to Ian Hinrich.

Following his carving of the Wellsville defense on his way in, he advanced to the far post to knock in the icebreaking score just 10 minutes in.

Despite several attempts to remain on their feet on defense, Wellsville (1-0-3) had answered the call since the Wildcats score, using their spatial awareness to step up and intercept any potential opportunities that the visitors attempted to formulate across the field. The Lions were able to build momentum off of it for the attack, getting a couple of more good looks at the Keshequa cage in the process.

Their best opportunity to tie the game right before the half came off a Blake Kalkhof corner, receiving the right touch in front of the net for the Keshequa keeper to make a play on the ball. With many Lions, including Nick Germain-Tardieu parked out front, they were able to pry it free, only for it to be covered up a short time later.

Wellsville kept clashing with Keshequa until the ice was given another gigantic crack in the surface. Approaching midway in the second half, the Lions capped off a game-tying drive against the Wildcats behind Karson Grover’s score, as he buried his shot home off a pass sent along by Kamron Dodge from the corner.

For the remainder of time ahead, both teams remained glued together on the level playing surface until the final horn rang out, as Wellsville collected their third tie of the season. In goal for the Lions, Gavin Haggerty went on to set aside 18 shots out of 19 total that he faced from the Wildcats.

Coming up Wednesday night, the Lions will take their home field once again, this time with a 7 p.m. visit from the Fillmore Eagles.

Cuba-Rushford 4, Bolivar-Richburg 1

BOLIVAR — It’s a matchup that has been circled on the calendar since last postseason. The last get-together between two of Allegany County’s storied rivals — defending Class C2 champion Cuba-Rushford and Bolivar-Richburg, turned out to be one of the most thrilling battles of the season to fill the stands in Lion’s Den, in mid-October.

For the first time since that day, the Rebels and Wolverines reconvened and collided once again at Dunsmore-Latimer Field. The hosts were hunting for an exacting of revenge following that heartbreaking loss to the Rebels in overtime. But as for the visitors in white and blue, they were looking to get that first win of the season in style following a six-day lay-off.

A long break away from action can attribute some rust. But in the case of the Rebels? There was no need to use any WD-40 whatsoever.

The foot was held down heavily on the gas pedal from the very start for Cuba-Rushford, as they took control of everything on the field against the Wolverines. With the momentum swaying in their favor, they would go on to account for four consecutive goals — two in each half, to set the tone. Despite a shutout-disrupting goal from Bolivar-Richburg down the stretch, the damage was done by the Rebels, as they rolled towards a 4-1 road victory to capture their first taste of victory this season.

“I really liked the way we bounced back after a defeat, and then a long week off,” said Rebels coach Rob Wight. “We came out ready to roll and we were able to take our chances early. We played a great first 60 minutes, but we still have to find the gas for the full 80. It was our first game with a little different look as far as a formation, but I thought the guys did a really nice job adjusting to it.”

The momentum for the Rebels (1-1-1) came in small bursts to start the battle against the Wolverines, earning a couple of corner kicks to apply some early pressure, with the latter of the two chances nearly seeking its way into the cage off a Robert Childs pass to Coen Kellogg, who eyeballed the look and nearly headed it right into the net next to the far post.

But on the next immediate chance for the visitors, the Childs-to-Kellogg connection would click just over 10 minutes gone in the first half, with Kellogg putting the finishing touch on the ball in the midst of a scrum directly out front of the Bolivar-Richburg (1-2-1) net. It wouldn’t stop there for the Rebels, as they doubled their lead with the help from Brock Stadler and his delivery of an absolute moonshot back to the Wolverines net in the middle of a crowd.

The ball eventually worked its way back out in front of the goal for Carter Brown to drive it home from range right to the far post, pocketing his first of two big scores for Cuba-Rushford. Despite falling into an early deficit, the Wolverines kept plugging away to try and climb onto the board, garnering their best opportunity to strike on Landon Barkley’s shot straight up the field for a streaking Braden Zilker.

Upon entry into the Rebels zone with nearly 10 minutes to go, Zilker would go on to use his legs and bifurcate a couple of defenders before beating the Rebels keeper, Caleb Elliott, on a challenge directly out front, leaving the net completely empty for Wolverines junior to connect. But with the defense swarming in quickly, the ball would remain out of harm’s way.

In the second half, Cuba-Rushford went on to pick up where they left off, as they scored their last two goals in the first 10 minutes of play to further cushion their advantage. Leading off was Brown’s second marker of the game, powered by the collection of a turnover deep in the Wolverines zone by Robert Childs. Finessing his way around two defenders, a pass was delivered to Brown off to his right-hand side where he delivered the one-time shot for a 3-0 lead.

Just a short time later, Childs aided in capping off the scoring one more time with his third contribution of the game, as he exchanged multiple back-and-forth passes with Chase Haas on their way back into the Bolivar-Richburg zone once more before receiving the last of the bundle to poke home.

The shutout was lost however with 12:29 remaining with Braden Zilker putting Bolivar-Richburg onto the board off his corner kick pass to Landon Barkley out front, scoring it down low off a perfect trap in front of the Rebels cage. The lone Wolverines goal was one of seven shots they applied against their archrival, as the Rebels went on to claim the 10-7 overall advantage in the shot department.

The win in goal belonged to Caleb Elliott for the visitors, as he set aside six shots. On the other end, Ayden Music made six saves for the Wolverines.

Both teams will make their return to the pitch Wednesday in a pair of 5 p.m. first kicks, with the Rebels hitting the road again to Friendship to meet host Friendship/Scio, while Bolivar-Richburg aims for a bounce-back game at Houghton Academy.

Hammondsport 2, Friendship/Scio 1

SCIO — All three goals combined between Hammondsport and Friendship/Scio came in through the clutch, with one team reaping the first half’s benefits with the lead at the break, while the other wiped it away down the homestretch to command their own destiny.

A Monday evening in Scio saw a thrilling contest come straight down to the very end. An ending that the visiting Lakers wound up providing in incredible fashion, as they went on to score a pair of goals in the game’s final five minutes to erase their 1-0 game-long deficit and turn it into a 2-1 victory of their own right to close out the night.

Before the second half comeback was mounted by Hammondsport, the first half witnessed Friendship/Scio (0-5) working their way free from the Lakers in the last 10 minutes of play. Following a lengthy scoreless battle across the field, the hosts were able to capitalize on a big momentum-shifting strike, set up by Daniel Lamberson’s pass to Cooper Greenman to record the 1-0 lead.

Friendship/Scio did everything possible to keep their lead frozen, but the Lakers foresaw a pair of exploits in the last 10 minutes of regulation themselves deep in their offensive zone, using them in their entirety to double-up the score behind their big capitalizations from Noah Doyle and Alex Brown in a 1:56 span to claim the 2-1 lead in crunchtime. The two goals came on eight shots for the Lakers, as they outshot Friendship/Scio by an 8-3 count.

In goal for the hosts, Deacon Brown made six saves.

Up next, Friendship/Scio will play host to Cuba-Rushford over the hill in Friendship on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER

Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, Arkport-Canaseraga 3

ARKPORT — Monday night brought a brand new opportunity for Genesee Valley/Belfast to leave a tough defeat to the hands of Fillmore in the rearview mirror, with their latest battle bringing them to the Melody J. Harwood Soccer Complex in Arkport to face the host Lady Wolves of Arkport-Canaseraga.

Genesee Valley/Belfast was in for another battle with the Lady Wolves, as the two teams combined to score seven goals — all of which came in alternating fashion, with the two foes dealing blows one after another all through the opening 40 minutes of play. Most of the responses each team formulated were swift, but as far as who had the last say in the matter? That was all Genesee Valley/Belfast.

With the assistance of both Bayleigh Tallman and Sophie Zillgitt, their war on the teeter-totter with the Lady Wolves would eventually be won, as the Genesee Valley/Belfast sophomore and senior each scored a pair of goals, with Tallman netting the game’s last with go-ahead grace to cap off what was a rebounding and resilient 4-3 victory over the road.

The ball found the back of the net a combined four times between Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-1-1) and Arkport-Canaseraga through the first 40 minutes, beginning with the Lady Wolves and the first of two markers from Bryn Friends, ringing in at 24:36 remaining on the board. Six minutes removed from the icebreaking tally, the visitors countered with their first of two from Zillgitt.

Friends would follow right behind again to propel Arkport-Canaseraga back in the lead with her second and final marker of the game with 14:13 left to go. The lead would hold for the longest period of time in between goals during the contest, with Genesee Valley/Belfast putting an exclamation mark on the first half with Tallman’s first goal with 1:25 remaining until the break.

The offensive power surge would recommence following a lengthy defensive battle through the field, as Genesee Valley/Belfast took their first official lead off of Zillgitt’s final tally at the 25:59 mark. Just over five minutes later, the Lady Wolves responded with what was their last goal, as Shannon Spoth tied the game approaching midway.

With the very last marker the contest had to offer, Tallman awarded Genesee Valley/Belfast the victory with her second score with 15:32 left on the clock, as the defense managed to hold the fort down from that point on.

All eight goals were unassisted, all of 22 total shots taken between the squads. Genesee Valley/Belfast held the upper-hand at the end of the night, claiming the 16-6 shot advantage. In net, Charisma Metatos garnered the victory for the visitors, making three saves.

Thursday night, a trip to Bolivar-Richburg now awaits Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. kickoff at Dunsmore-Latimer Field against the host Lady Wolverines.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Fillmore 3, Arkport-Canaseraga 0

FILLMORE — Back and forth points were traded between both Arkport-Canaseraga and Fillmore across the majority of their Monday night battle in The Rock. But when it was all said and done, the host Lady Eagles managed to climb their way towards a third win in their last four games, in straight-set fashion, edging out the Lady Wolves by a 25-21, 25-20, 25-18 count.

Michaela Lewis helped lead the charge towards success for Fillmore (3-2) on offense, as she collected three team-leading kills. Alivia Kiff chipped in with a pair of aces from the back line, while the team’s setter Eleanor Reitnour handed out 12 helpers to get the offense going, pairing them with a trio of aces.

No stats were provided for Arkport-Canaseraga.

The Lady Eagles will take aim at their third straight win coming up on Wednesday, visiting Bolivar-Richburg in a 7:30 p.m. first serve.

Olean 3, Cuba-Rushford 2

CUBA — With a visit from the Olean Lady Huskies in store for Monday night, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford wholeheartedly accepted the challenge inside the Wighthouse. Although they fell behind in a quick 2-0 hole, the hosts in blue fought their way back with a dominant third set performance before capturing a clutch victory across a back-and-forth fourth-set affair.

With the momentum held in their favor going into the fifth and final set of the night, the Lady Rebels did everything in their power to harness it to their advantage. But Olean had other plans in store, as they provided the biggest bounce-back of them all to silence Cuba-Rushford with a 25-20, 25-23, 10-25, 23-25, 15-6 win.

Arlah Shaffer led the defensive efforts for the Lady Rebels (1-2), scooping up a team-high 12 digs to keep the ball off the floor. Adding more fuel to the fire at the front of the night was Raegan Poore, who issued a six-pack of denials against the Lady Huskies.

Cuba-Rushford will look to bring it back into the win column come Wednesday night, hosting Hinsdale at 7:30 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS

Wellsville 5, Alfred-Almond 0

ALMOND — The defending Class B2 champions have shown no signs of slowing down, and on Monday, they continued doing just that in their latest road trip to Alfred-Almond, dominating the field competition with all five wins to push towards a 3-0 start in their title defense with a 5-0 sweep of the host Lady Eagles.

Wellsville’s (3-0) dynamic trio in Samantha Bidzerkowny, Hanna Miles and Peyton Cawley all scored strong victories in their respective singles matches to help lay their claim on the match in the win column, with Bidzerkowny taking care of business with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Alfred-Almond’s Beatrice Beaudry. At second singles, Miles battled with Eleanor Drozeski and came away with a 6-2, 6-2 win, while Cawley rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Lillian Geiger at third singles.

The Lady Lions also received victories in both doubles matches in resounding fashion, with the first doubles team of Caitlin Bittel and Sarah Mattison completing a 6-0, 6-0 shutout over Natalie Roberts and Ezi Backer. Jaiden Edwards and Shayla Cowan nearly had a second doubles shutout of their own, but settled on a victorious 6-0, 6-1 decision over Allegra Bordeaux and Layla Shelley.

Up next, the Lady Lions are back home to host Wayland-Cohocton in a 5 p.m. first serve on Wednesday.

Singles

1. Samantha Bidzerkowny (WLSV) def. Beatrice Beaudry (A-A), 6-0, 6-2.

2. Hanna Miles (WLSV) def. Eleanor Drozeski (A-A), 6-2, 6-2.

3. Peyton Cawley (WLSV) def. Lillian Geiger (A-A), 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

1. Caitlin Bittel/Sarah Mattison (WLSV) def. Natalie Roberts/Ezi Backer (A-A), 6-0, 6-0.

2. Jaiden Edwards/Shayla Cowan (WLSV) def. Allegra Bordeaux/Layla Shelley (A-A), 6-0, 6-1.

Fillmore 5, Canisteo-Greenwood 0

HOUGHTON — Efficiency is key. It was something that the Lady Eagles of Fillmore had in full on Monday, as they took Houghton University by storm and springboarded above .500 for the season with a dominant 5-0 shutout of visiting Canisteo-Greenwood.

Claire Schilke and Indigo Knapp helped lead the way in the singles department for the Lady Eagles (3-2) with two big wins in action, as Schilke laid claim to a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Canisteo-Greenwood’s Alexandria Jackson to pave the way. At second singles, Knapp countered with a strong 6-1, 6-0 win of her own over Paige Acor. Greta Kettinger was awarded a victory at third singles, via forfeit.

In the doubles matches, the first doubles duo of Lena Tucker and Molly Mahoney picked up a 6-0, 6-0 blank over Lady Chargers duo Joelle Minch and Madison Smith. At second doubles, the team of Kirra Bentley and Summer Friedl scored a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Maeleigh Hosmer and Alexandra Farkas.

The win for Friedl was the first of her Varsity career.

“The team was really efficient today. We have spent more time recently working on the doubles teams moving a little better, and being more aggressive at the net,” said Lady Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “They did a much better job of that today. I am really happy for Summer (Friedl) as she was able to get her first win today. She has been doing double duty between the soccer team and tennis, and it was great to see her improvement on the court pay off tonight. We get three days of practice before a big rematch with Avoca-Prattsburgh.”

Fillmore returns to the court on Friday, hitting the road for a 5 p.m. contest against the Avoca-Prattsburgh Lady Titans.

Singles

1. Claire Schilke (FIL) def. Alexandria Jackson (C-G), 6-0, 6-0.

2. Indigo Knapp (FIL) def. Paige Acor (C-G), 6-1, 6-0.

3. Greta Kettinger (FIL) by for.

Doubles

1. Lena Tucker/Molly Mahoney (FIL) def. Joelle Minch/Madison Smith (C-G), 6-0, 6-0.

2. Kirra Bentley/Summer Friedl (FIL) def. Maeleigh Hosmer/Alexandra Farkas (C-G), 6-0, 6-1.