Robust Seasons End in Finals for Briarcliff, Somers, Greeley

By Tony Pinciaro

BRIARCLIFF was experiencing a difficult eight-game stretch – 1-4-3 – in the second half of the season, in which it lost three impact starters to injury. The 2023 Section 1 Class B champions were at a crossroads.

“I simply told our team that someone has to step up and there’s a reason why we have other players on the team,” Briarcliff Coach David Villalobos said.

Briarcliff responded with victories over Valhalla and Rye Neck to complete the regular season. The Bears carried the momentum from those victories into sectionals and Saturday’s Class B final on the campus of Arlington High School.

Even though the fourth-seeded Bears lost 4-1 to second-seeded Bronxville, it was a season Villalobos is proud of.

“In our last two games, players filled the void and that gave us a bunch of confidence going into playoffs and it also gave us a good seed,” Villalobos said. “It also told us that we are more than just 11 players and we needed that extra boost.”

Briarcliff dispatched No.5 Putnam Valley, 6-1, in a quarterfinal behind a Sadie Levitz hat trick and two goals from Mar Rivera Font.

The Bears reached the final with a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Blind Brook in a shootout as goalie Mia Gurreri was huge with 17 saves, including three consecutive in kicks.

“That semifinal win was just amazing,” Villalobos said. “It was a battle for 110 minutes and it could’ve gone either way. It was one of the best games of the season. I was at a loss for words after that game because my girls played with such heart and that was the key word before the start of the game.

“Our keeper, Mia Gurreri, for making 14 saves throughout the match and then three crucial saves in the penalty shootout, was simply astonishing. I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was just so happy with the way they were united and didn’t want to be beaten.”

Briarcliff, which finished 9-6-4, encountered a buzzsaw in the final as Bronxville made it two straight this season, including a 2-1 regular-season win.

“Bronxville was more technical and physical and was in our face right from the start,” Villalobos said. “Bronxville also tested our backline, constantly, and capitalized on a few mistakes. That helped them control the game. I give my full credit to Bronxvill;e for testing us physically and mentally for the full 80 minutes.”

Villalobos and Assistant Coach Lauren Pesce will hold a special place for this team as it overcame numerous obstacles to reach a third sectional final in four years.

“Lauren and I are always proud of this team as they always managed to amaze and surprise,” Villalobos said. “From where we were midway through the season we honestly, and this is not a joke, we didn’t think we were going to go this far. With injuries and games that got away from us, Lauren and I just had to continue working on the pitch and continue to instill confidence into them.

“This was just simply incredible and I never would have thought it. I tell my girls all the time and I know they’re sick of me saying it, but they make this the best job in the world and being able to be with them every day is an incredible feeling.”

SOMERS was back where it was in 2023, playing for a Section 1 Class A title. The 2023 Section 1 Class A champion and state semifinalists advanced with a 2-1 victory over top-seeded and unbeaten Pleasantville.

However, second-seeded Rye would not allow a Somers’ repeat as the Garnets raced out to a three-goal lead in an eventual 4-2 victory Saturday at Arlington High.

The Tuskers finished the season with a 14-4-2 record.

“Switching formations in the second half allowed our front runners to put more pressure on their back line,” said Somers’ Coach Kelci Hegg of the sectional final. “Lindsay Ulaj is such a key figure in our lineup as she controls the pace of the game and Tiana Righetti is such a physical force in the midfield and goes forward with unmatched tenacity.

“Julia Schmidberger had an outstanding year in goal and made several key saves in the second half to keep us in the game.”

Even though Somers graduated a deep, talented class last June, the Tuskers overcame its youth to play for the title.

“This year we were young, but we have a ton of great building blocks for the future, and now they understand the expectations of Somers’ soccer,” Hegg said. “They were learning how to gel with each other and given the freshness of the team, it was exciting to watch them all be as successful as we were, given the exit of so many key players.

“I have no doubt our rivalry with Rye and with both teams continuing to be in Class A there will be battles over the next few years.”

HORACE GREELEY took a step up in class, from A to AA, this year, but it did not deter the Quakers. Coach Angela Russo’s team had an excellent season, earning a second seed in the Section 1 Class AA Championships and a return trip to a championship game.

The Quakers lost a heartbreaker to top-seeded Albertus Magnus, 2-1, with 59 seconds remaining in double overtime.

Horace Greeley, which beat No.3 Tappan Zee, 2-1, in a semifinal, concluded the season with a 14-5-1 record.

“This was the most heartbreaking loss that I’ve experienced in more than 15 years with Greeley varsity girls’ soccer,” Greeley Coach Angela Russo said. “We held onto a 1-0 lead until a foul was called. Magnus was given a direct kick around 15 yards outside the penalty box with two minutes left in regulation. It deflected off of one player and landed at the foot of Alexis Diaz, who sent it straight in.”

Diaz would strike again with just 59 ticks on the clock in the second overtime.

“She scored off another deflection that came off the crossbar,” Russo explained. “It was truly heartbreaking to get that close to a section title, especially with such a special team.

“This group of players was everything a coach could ask for. Their work ethic every single day, their grit and determination in every game, the relationships they’ve fostered with their teammates and the traditions they’ve passed down through so many years.”

Russo said her team was not afraid of Albertus’ record or stingy ways.

“Our team had heard how great Albertus Magnus was all season and how no team had scored on them in 15 games and how they were number one in New York,” Russo said. “Any other group of players might have had their heads down, playing scared, but not our team.

“My players came out ready to take them on, not to play defensive, but to attack and win. And, we came within one minute of doing exactly that. I can’t even express how proud I am of these athletes, and I’m so glad that everyone watching was able to see how incredibly strong, tough and talented they are.”

Russo praised her defense and goalie for holding Albertus Magnus to below its season average in goals-per-game.

“Lauren Singer, our goalie, had the best game I’ve seen her play,” Russo said. “She made incredible saves throughout the game and constantly awed the crowd.

“Our defensive line of Sienna Moss, Emily Hametz, Rowan Edson and Stella Potenza held off Albertus attacks over and over, all of them playing the one of the best games of their careers.”

The Quakers trailed Tappan Zee, 1-0, in their semi before Esme Weiss evened the score on a direct kick. Hailey Stern scored the winner, converting a cross from Rachel Glick.

PLEASANTVILLE had one of the most successful seasons in program history after making the step up from Class B to Class A. The Panthers went 15-0-1 during the regular season, earning the top seed in the Section 1 Class A Championship.

After beating Panas (8-1) and Lakeland (4-1), 2023 Section 1 Class A champion Somers handed the Panthers their only loss, 2-1.

“We had a great season and I am extremely proud of my teammates,” said senior and captain Skylar Aghen. “We all played and fought very hard to the end.”

 

ANDY JACOBS/DAVID TABER/CHRIS SMAJLAJ PHOTOS