Press-Republican

Sports

November 21, 2009

Goose egg for Eagles

Chazy girls shut out for first time in '09 in title game



HOMER — The high-scoring Chazy girls' soccer team hadn't been shut out all season.

Until Saturday.

Morgan VanScoter scored the only goal of the game and Section V's Arkport recorded a 1-0 win over the Eagles in the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game at Homer High School.

"We didn't play our game today," said Chazy head coach Karin Sherman Trombley. "We had a great season to make it this far and I'm proud of the girls.

"Arkport is a great team and we gave them a run. We played hard. It could have gone either way, but we didn't play to 100 percent of what we're capable of."

The game's only goal came with 11 minutes gone in the first half.

Brittany Smith took a shot that Chazy keeper Katharine Tooke was able to make the save on. But, the Eagles got some bad luck when Tooke tipped the ball and it deflected off the post and directly in front to VanScoter. She had an open net with Tooke on the ground and out of the play.

"We wanted to get the first score," Sherman Trombley said. "But, we had trouble with our first touch early in the game was not on our game for the first 25 minutes of play."

"We weren't passing to the feet," said Chazy assistant coach Sam Verkey. "We resorted to kick ball and that's what we didn't want to do."

The previously-unbeaten Eagles (21-1), who posted a 3-1 win over Smithtown Christian the day before in the Final Four semifinals, got very little going offensively. The Section VII champions finished with a 9-6 shot advantage, but had few good looks at the net.

The Eagles took advantage of Smithtown Christian mistakes, but Arkport made very few mistakes defensively.

The Eagles did step up their play in the final 10 minutes or so of the first half, but couldn't break through.

"We had some opportunities, but weren't able to capitalize on them," Sherman Trombley said.

Leading scorer Victoria Reynolds was unable to work her magic and the best scoring opportunity for the Eagles came with six minutes gone in the second half when Caitlyn Lapier got possession out front and put a shot off the post.

Chazy tried in vain to muster an attack the rest of the way as the Jays, who were a 1-0 winner in the Final Four semifinals, played well with the lead. Smith was a major factor at midfield for the Jays.

Arkport did the job defensively in the final minutes of regulation, keeping the ball out of its end for the most part.

Tooke played well in the Chazy nets with five saves. Ashley Swartz, chosen as the Final Four's Most Valuable Player, recorded the shutout with six stops.

"The girls gave a good effort," Sherman Trombley said. "I thought Kirsten Doran played well in the back and Megan Reynolds was consistent on defense."



Arkport 1, Chazy 0

Chazy00—0

Arkport10—1

First half- 1, Ark, M. VanScoter (Smith), 11:00.

Shots: Chazy 9, Arkport 6.

Saves: Tooke, C, 5. Swartz, Ark, 6.

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