Marcellus 2, Schalmont 0
This is what we come to see. The best of the best. Time for some post-sectional soccer action. Bums need not apply... and no one on the field was a bum at Stillwater on this night. This Sect III/Sect II showdown between 2 of the top 3 teams in the state in Class B was every bit of competitive as expected.
Got there late, unfortunately. Hoped to be there the whole time, showed up with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. Didn't miss anything I needed to see though, as it was still scoreless. Over those last few minutes of the half, Schalmont, ranked #1 in Class B, showed a little more spark, but no one provided a scoring opportunity that looked legitimate. These 2 teams had high-powered offenses and staunch defenses all year, scoring 250 goals combined going into this night, while only giving up 17. The defenses won out through the first 40.
To start the 2nd half, Schalmont continued to show the spark, and with Bianca Mascitelli & Madeline Saccocio pressuring the Mustangs' back line, there was a point where it looked like a matter of time before Schalmont would break through. Mascitelli just missed on putting one through at one point, and the Marcellus keeper had to make a couple saves early in the half. However, Marcellus, ranked #3 in the state, settled back in and showed everyone something: it's not about who gets the most chances, it's about who makes the most of their chances. They started to balance play, and with 15:46 remaining, they made the most of a chance. Brielle Filtch received a pass up top, just outside the 18. For whatever reason, she had loads of daylight... they must have neglected that part of the scouting report. She one-touched it and let it loose, putting it past the keeper in the bottom right corner. Girl can play. Schalmont instantly tried to put the pressure on, but it ended with a long-distance shot right to the keeper's chest. 3 minutes later, Marcellus countered off a Schalmont attack and ultimately was awarded a corner. The corner itself went nowhere, but the Sabres didn't exactly clear it as well as they'd like to. Sort of a failed clearance attempt up the middle of the field went to the foot of Mustang Emma Blystone, who one-timed it from deep over the Sabres GK's head, giving Marcellus the insurance goal they needed at the 11:59 mark. The last 12 minutes were played relatively evenly, with neither team forging a very strong scoring chance. Overall, a great game to watch. High energy, physical but not rough, fun to watch. Marcellus moves on to the state quarterfinals with the win, where they play the winner of the Sect VII/Sect X game. Schalmont, despite the loss, had a hell of a season. Nothing to be ashamed of. As a matter of fact, that was their only blemish this year, finishing with a record of 20-1.
#NumbersDontLie - This was even. Schalmont's chances came in flurries, but Marcellus always had its share of opportunities. Never one-sided. As a matter of fact, in the 2nd half, both teams attempted 6 shots and had 1 corner kick. Both GKs touched the ball 7 times in the half - 3 saves & 4 non-save touches on Marcellus' end, and 2 saves with 5 non-save touches for Schalmont. It's not always about who gets the most chances, or whose chances look the best. It's about who makes the net move, and that's what Marcellus did.
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