Girls soccer: Somers' unbeaten streak continues with Class AA title win over Greeley
NYACK - Somers came to Nyack with pre-game shirts that said "get it done," and the Tuskers will head back home with new ones that say Section 1 champions.
The top-seeded Tuskers captured the Section 1 Class AA title, defeating third-seeded Horace Greeley, 3-1, on Saturday night.
"There's no other words to describe it other than it feels amazing," Somers senior Annie Maguire said. "Half of us on this team has been working for this for like four years, and we finally got it done, so it feels great."
The Tuskers' unbeaten run through the Section 1 is now complete with championship hardware. It's a streak of perfection − 20 teams have tried, and 20 failed to topple the Tuskers.
"We've had a lot of conversations about not focusing on that undefeated streak, because we know for a fact that there's been a target on our back," Somers coach Kelci Hegg said. "We had a rough loss last year to Clarkstown North, and we felt like we were a team that could've gone further. This year, we talked about going one step further, playing without fear. Our quote for this sectional run has been not forget everything and run, but forget everything and rise, and they've certainly risen to the occasion."
Tiana Righetti and Annie Maguire put the Tuskers quickly in front, supplying first-half goals. Somers took a 2-0 halftime lead.
"We just connect super well," Somers senior Bridget Kossow said. "We'll pick each other up even through those moments we aren't playing well. We always pick each other up, and we always stay connected. I think that's how we've gotten it done."
Horace Greeley battled back and started the second half with a bang, as Sophia Ivanov scored off an assist by Gianna Limongello less than a minute after the break.
Somers settled down and a goal from Julia Arbelaez with 21:26 left in the game cushioned the Tuskers' lead. Adrianna Cooke assisted on both first-half goals, while Lindsay Ulaj assisted on Arbelaez's goal.
"You can't take anything away from Somers, they're incredible," Horace Greeley coach Angela Russo. "Our girls came in ready, and they played a really hard game, and played their hearts out. I think the underclassmen, after this, want it even more now. It was a great experience, the whole season. We had a great run and we're proud of them."
What it means
It's the Tuskers' first sectional title since they were named co-champions with Mahopac after a scoreless draw in the Section 1 Putnam-Northern Westchester large school finals in the COVID-impacted 2020 season. Saturday night provided a much more satisfying end for the Tuskers.
Also, they're the last undefeated team remaining in Section 1. They'll look to continue that streak in the NYSPHSAA Class AA regional semifinal, when they face the Section 4 champion on Wednesday in Johnson City, at 5 p.m.
Game balls
The Tuskers' attack: Somers was unrelenting in controlling the midfield and flow of the game, and while it won by two goals, there were several shots that had just missed the goal and could have padded its lead even further. Despite the misses, the midfield and forward play remained undeterred and the Tuskers kept the pressure up.
Somers goalkeeper Julia Schmidberger and back line: There was a mental lapse early in the second half, but the Tuskers' defense has been an integral piece to their unbeaten streak. Schmidberger made eight saves and got help from back line starters Naty Sanchez, Marley Hawkins, Lily Mazzella and Jordan McMorrrow.
By the numbers
No. 1 Somers (20-0): Annie Maguire, Tiana Righetti, and Julia Arbelaez each had a goal. Adrianna Cooke had two assists, while Lindsay Ulaj had one assist. Julia Schmidberger made eight saves. The Tuskers have now outscored opponents by a combined 75-12 margin this season.
No. 3 Horace Greeley (14-4-2): Sophia Ivanov scored the Quakers' lone goal off an assist by Gianna Limongello. Lauren Singer had 12 saves.
They said it
"It's something you watch as a little kid, and you hope that's you one day," Somers' senior co-captain Jordan McMorrow said. "The feeling when you actually win and the final buzzer goes off, it's completely surreal."
"Just said look how far we've come this season," Russo said of her message to the Quakers. "They've consistently made us proud in each of the sectional games and I think they should be really proud of the run the had this year. It's the first time in a very long time that we've gotten this far, and they should take that with pride and remember that the whole season was incredible, so hold your heads up high."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Girls soccer: Undefeated Somers defeats Greeley for Class AA title
