Saturday Roundup: GV/Belfast wins home tournament behind Proctor and Borden’s 2nd half connection in 1-0 shutout over C-R

Written By Chris Brooks

BELFAST — After what was a back-and-forth midfield battle for much of the opening half, both Cuba-Rushford and Genesee Valley/Belfast would head into the half of Saturday night’s Championship game scoreless.

During that brief period of rest, Duane Powers had a question for his team — What will it take?

His co-coach, Lisa Scott-Schneider eluded to the answer in another discussion with the team. That being to find the back of the net in the first 10 minutes. The question-and-answer scenario was presented to Genesee Valley/Belfast as the second half began, and with nearly seven minutes removed off the clock, Harley Proctor and Alicia Borden both answered the call.

It all began with Borden on the far sidelines picking up possession. With it, she carried the ball deeper into the Cuba-Rushford zone where she found a wide open Proctor in the middle of the goalkeeper’s box inside. The senior managed to trap the ball to her feet, and with all the patience in the world, knocked the ball away into the bottom left corner to give Genesee Valley/Belfast the room they needed to clinch this year’s tournament title on their home turf in a 1-0 shutout over the Lady Rebels.

“We challenged them with the goal for the second half, and that was to score in the first 10 minutes. We needed to strike, and Harley stepped up and did it,” said GV/Belfast co-coach Duane Powers. “It was excellent, and defensively, we’re kind of finding our way. Mary (Hamer) is adapting quite quickly in a position on defense that she’s never held before. She’s going to be strong back there for us, and you can tell that it’s coming. We’ve given up two shots in two games, and that’s pretty wild when you think about it.”

After the goal was scored, Genesee Valley/Belfast went on to pitch a second half shutout of Cuba-Rushford behind some absolutely sublime defense, as the Lady Rebels were not allowed a single shot on goal in the final 40 minutes of play. That was after a midfield battle ensued between both squads early on in a scoreless spar.

The first half did come with a few opportunities to each team to strike, but Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0) for the most part, generated an overwhelming amount of ball control to keep Cuba-Rushford on their feet. As the first 40 wound down, each team ended the half with an excellent chance to break the ice, with the hosts seeing an Alicia Borden cross off a corner kick go high and over the crossbar after Proctor attempted to head it in.

For the Rebels on the other side, a shot from Sofia Riquelme after finessing a pair of defenders on the way in, scraping the crossbar across the top and out as time expired.

“Offensively, we’re a little challenged,” Powers said. “You could see that in the first half. We’re not finishing the ball as consistently as we like, and even in the Friendship game on Thursday, it should have been a lot more than 4-0, but we weren’t finishing the ball when we should have. We’re not really creative up top at the moment, but it’s going to come as more time together goes on this season. Two schools coming together as one like this, it’s going to take some time.”

But the Genesee Valley/Belfast chance drew a silver lining in the sky with their lone goal, as both Proctor and Borden would continue finding one another in the second half until Borden’s cross at the 33:01 mark found Proctor in the right place, and at the right time to break it open with a 1-0 lead.

It would set the tone for the rest of the second half, as the defense entered lockdown mode, holding Cuba-Rushford scoreless from the field while continuing to mount the pressure on offense back in the opposite direction, allowing them to secure the advantage until the final horn.

“I can’t wait to see how this team matures as the days move forward,” GV/Belfast co-coach Lisa Scott-Schneider said. “I’m really happy to see the competitiveness coming through, and when we learn how to capitalize in the final third, look out. We had some great defense by all, but Mary Hamer’s decision-making was absolutely key tonight, and Ashley Burrows had a big save of the night by a fingertip to secure the win. I’m proud of these ladies, and we are still learning each other’s personalities. It was a good way to start the season.”

Genesee Valley/Belfast outshot Cuba-Rushford by a 10-3 count with Ashley Burrows being credited with the shutout in goal, making all three stops. On the other end, Tara Duvall set aside nine shots of her own for the Lady Rebels (1-1), who return home on Tuesday to open their home slate against the Fillmore Lady Eagles in a 5 p.m. first kick.

For a program that has not won their home tournament in recent memory, Powers says it’s a great feeling.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more to start 2-0 as a combined team. You can’t,” the second-year coach said. “Everything is clicking between the schools, between me and Lisa. It’s a great match, and hopefully it continues down the road and I think it will. It feels good to win this thing finally. A lot of these girls were forced to play Varsity soccer in eighth grade. They’ve been out and through the ringer over the years to get to where they are now. To see the smiles on their faces, they’ve absolutely earned this, and I am so excited for them.”

Up next for Genesee Valley/Belfast is more tournament action, this time in Keshequa, as they take on the host Lady Indians in first round action Tuesday night at Kiwanis Park, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The winner will face either Notre Dame-Batavia or Alfred-Almond in the next round, and for Powers, it’s a tournament that will really pinpoint where the team stands after next week.

“It's going to be an absolute test for us,” he said. “We will find out next week where we stand after enduring that tournament in Keshequa. Whether we are really going to be in that upper echelon in the League or if we're still a step back, but I really do think we're up for the challenge.”

Prior to the Championship game, Andover/Whitesville fought their way through a slow moving first half with the help of Zoey Lee, who got the team on the board for the first time this season with her two goals, one that started the scoring and the other making sure they remained ahead for good to rebound successfully with a 3-1 win over Friendship/Scio in the Consolation round.

Lee’s first tally came just past the midway mark of the opening half when she connected with Kennedy Bledsoe after a scrum formulated in front of the Friendship/Scio net. Bledsoe helped set the play up with a gorgeous passing play deep inside the offensive zone to a streaking Lee up the middle, knocking it off the left post and over to the right side for the goal to take the 1-0 lead for Andover/Whitesville (1-1).

The lead would remain up until the midway mark of the second half when Friendship/Scio (0-2) tied the game up with Sophie Bolzan’s goal after Logan Roberts battled down low to dig the ball free, an effort that saw the goal become a reward in the end to get on the board.

But that would be all for Friendship/Scio, as Andover/Whitesville took complete control of the last 10 minutes of play with their pair of go-ahead goals scored by Lee once more, and Rachel Jackson, with Jackson providing the netter that broke the 1-1 tie in the midst of a scrum. Lee would add her second of the game just over 90 seconds later to essentially put the game away for good on a pass play from Jackson.

The three goals were part of a 20-shot barrage for Andover/Whitesville, outshooting Friendship/Scio by a 20-6 final count. Brynn Scholl picked up the win in goal behind five saves, while Karlee Cochran made 15 stops for the visitors in white and blue.

After the game, all-tournament selections were made across all four teams in attendance for the two-day tournament, with Proctor getting the highest honor of them all as the Tournament’s MVP for Genesee Valley/Belfast. The other Championship game selections for the hosts were Borden, Addy Grusendorf and Mary Hamer, while Duvall, Taylor Searle and Francesca Childs were selected for the Lady Rebels.

In the Consolation game, Lee, Jackson and Rylie Bryan were selected for Andover/Whitesville, while Claire Calhoun and Katherine Lamberson earned selections for Friendship/Scio.

Andover/Whitesville’s home slate will open up back on their home turf Tuesday night in Andover, when they get set to host Wellsville in a 6 p.m. first kick. Also on Tuesday, Friendship/Scio’s road swing will continue into Dunsmore-Latimer Field in Bolivar, as they get set to battle the host Lady Wolverines in a 5 p.m. first kick of their own.

Fillmore 4, Portville 1

FILLMORE — Having watched Portville take on Arkport/Canaseraga on Thursday, Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley wasn’t exactly sure how they would handle the Lady Panthers defensively.

Having won and tied the previous two meetings with the Lady Panthers, Saturday night marked the third time, the first meeting since 2019 in their own season-opening tournament in Fillmore. With this year’s tournament in Fillmore being swapped to a Section V/Section VI crossover-style tournament, it gave the Lady Eagles a chance to build off their win over Holland.

Hope Russell and Sophia Templeton would do that.

In the first half, the bar was set. After a midfield battle that ensued for most of the half, Fillmore managed to break the ice towards the tail end, as Russell and Templeton exchanged goals and assists to build a 2-0 lead for the team at the break. Despite Portville cutting the deficit to one, two crucial pieces of insurance were added late in the second half to secure their victory for good, as they finished their home tournament undefeated with a 4-1 win over the Lady Panthers.

“For the second game and a quality opponent in Portville, we should feel pretty good about this result,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “Other than a five-minute stretch early in the second half, I thought we were focused, prepared, we stuck with our game plan and we played with confidence. These first two games, we expected two very good opponents, and we got that. To say we are pleased with tonight’s result is an understatement, and I wasn’t certain how we would handle it after watching Portville on Thursday.”

Russell was the first Lady Eagle (2-0) to strike at the 30 minute mark of the opening half, as Templeton dished out one of three total assists she had on the night to get the goal-scoring started for the hosts. Templeton would score one of her own four minutes later with Russell repaying the favor with an assist to give the Lady Eagles a two-goal lead at the break.

Portville would find a way to cut their deficit in half upon returning to the field for the second half, but Fillmore’s response was even greater down the stretch, as Grace Russell chipped in with a pair of goals off Templeton’s two final assists, the first coming at the halfway mark to regain their two-goal advantage, and later with six minutes left in the game to put it away for good.

In all, the Lady Eagles doubled up Portville in the shot department by an 18-9 count. Preslee Miller earned the win in net, stopping eight shots.

“Our defense was so consistent tonight, and our offense had some moments when it was really clicking,” said Beardsley. “Every one of our goals was a team effort. Hope and Sophia up top were really clicking tonight, and Grace and Zoe (Beardsley) controlled the offensive midfield. But in the end, it is our entire roster and depth that is really making a difference. It is nice to have good quality depth all around the field.”

The Lady Eagles will begin Allegany County League play after the Labor Day weekend, when they hit the road to take on Cuba-Rushford at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

“We start our League schedule next week, and we look forward to the challenge it brings. We hope that we can improve after every game.” Beardsley said.

Olean Tourney Consolation: Bolivar-Richburg 3, Jamestown 1

OLEAN — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg made sure they ended their tenure at Olean’s Tournament on a high note Saturday afternoon, as they traveled and returned home with their first win of the season over Jamestown by a 3-1 count in the Consolation round.

McKinlee Harris was responsible for all three goals for the Lady Wolverines (1-1), two of them coming in the second half of play. The last goal Harris scored came off an assist off the foot of Teegan Sibble to wrap up the scoring, and the victory for the team in black and red.

In goal, Malayna Ayers provided 13 stops to preserve the victory.

Bolivar-Richburg will return home and open up their home slate Tuesday night with a 5 p.m. first kick against Friendship/Scio.

FOOTBALL

Pembroke 55, Wellsville 26

WELLSVILLE — For the first time ever, the Wellsville Lions took the field for 8-man football action under the lights in the Lion’s Den, after officially making the move down right before the season began.

Their first task at-hand in their new slate of competition was the Pembroke Dragons. The Lions gave everything they had to follow Pembroke’s footsteps, but in the end, the Dragons soared to victory, taking down the orange and black by a 55-26 count on Saturday.

Complete in-depth stats and a box score were not made available upon publication.

Wellsville (0-1) will hit the road next Friday night, as they get set to battle Red Jacket in a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba 64, Cuba-Rushford 6

ELBA — The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies set the tone almost immediately after the opening kickoff, scoring on the first play of scrimmage to set up a 35-point first quarter, as they coasted past visiting Cuba-Rushford with a massive 64-6 home win in Elba, Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels (0-1), despite the loss, put together a scoring drive right before the conclusion of the first half, highlighted by lengthy runs all made by Haidon Moran, Dom Bello and Kadin Pierce. The drive was finished off by a short 1-yard rush by Bello to get the team on the board.

Another chance for Cuba-Rushford to add more to the scoreboard came throughout the third quarter with perhaps their longest drive of the game. But after a 3rd-and-9, the Aggies found a way to stall the drive after a sack on Ethan Brooks under center, forcing the ball over on downs on the next play.

In-depth team stats were not made available upon publication.

The Rebels head back home to open their home slate of games with longtime Hyphen Bowl rival Bolivar-Richburg in town for a 7 p.m. visit next Friday night.

Cuba-Rushford 0 6 0 0 – 6

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba 35 15 0 14 – 64

1st

O-A/E – Gaige Armbrewster 55-yard run, PAT good. (7-0 O-A/E) – first play from scrimmage

O-A/E – Bodie Hyde 1-yard run, PAT good. (14-0 O-A/E) – off onside kick

O-A/E – Bodie Hyde 45-yard run, PAT failed. (20-0 O-A/E)

O-A/E – Gaige Armbrewster 1-yard run, PAT good (27-0 O-A/E)

O-A/E – Kameron Cusmano 15-yard pass from Bodie Hyde, 2-PT conversion good (35-0 O-A/E)

2nd

O-A/E – Gaige Armbrewster 45-yard run, PAT good (42-0 O-A/E)

O-A/E – Gaige Armbrewster 47-yard run, 2-PT conversion good (50-0 O-A/E)
C-R – Dom Bello 1-yard run, PAT failed (50-6 O-A/E)

3rd

None

4th

O-A/E – Kameron Cusmano 53-yard run, 2-PT conversion good (58-6 O-A/E)

O-A/E – Aidan Warner 20-yard run, 2-PT conversion failed (64-6 O-A/E)

BOYS SOCCER

Fillmore 7, Cuba-Rushford 0

CUBA — After suffering a 1-0 shutout to the hands of Arkport/Canaseraga, the Eagles of Fillmore went over the road in hopes of rebounding into the win column for the first time.

In their visit to Cuba-Rushford Saturday afternoon, Mitch Ward helped the Eagles bounce back in a humongous way, as he scored four of the team’s seven goals, three of them coming in the second half, as they rolled past the host Rebels with a 7-0 shutout.

Ward’s first goal of the game came near the halfway point of the first half, receiving a feed from Layton Sanasith to break the ice. Carter Sisson would give the Eagles (1-1) a 3-0 lead at the break with his pair of goals, both coming off assists from Zach Sisson in an 18-second span.

Later on in the second half, Ward scored his remaining goals to branch the lead even further, coming off assists from Graham Cahill near the midway mark to take a 4-0 lead before Zach Sisson had two more assists to dish out in a three-minute span to help the cause.

Jack Cool would finish the goal-scoring for good with under two minutes remaining on his first goal of the season off a Damon Wood assist. In all, Fillmore totaled 21 shots in the game, outshooting Cuba-Rushford (0-1) by a 21-4 count.

In goal, Luke Colombo preserved the shutout with all four saves, while Jarrett Campbell made 14 stops for the Rebels, who head for the Brock Young Tournament in Scio to take on Bolivar-Richburg in the first round on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Fillmore will head back home to take on the Scio Tigers after the Labor Day weekend, as they get set to do battle at 7 p.m. under the lights on Tuesday.

Chris Brooks
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Friday Roundup: 2nd quarter score difference maker in Alexander’s 7-0 win over B-R; GV/Belfast wins home tourney over Hinsdale