Archive: Sports

In what is shaping up to be the most difficult sectional title run in the last four years, our lady footballers have had to be at their psychological and physical best in victories over Dryden  and Owego last week.

The #1 team in Class B literally had to battle the elements, in this case the wind, and two physically imposing foes. For the first time in four years, the Lady Cats gave up goals in sectional games. Both games ended up 2-1 affairs that were in the balance until the final whistle. What is obvious to all that have watched these girls this season is that it is going to take more than a stiff wind or opponent to sidetrack these warriors. Timely goals, outstanding goalkeeping, tenacious defending and the occasional lucky bounce or break has kept the season alive as the quest for the championship continues.

First up in the second round was Dryden, crosstown rival and the last team in Section IV to hand the Lansing ladies a loss. In the third meeting of the year, the Purple Lions let their intentions be known that it was going to be a fight and they were not going to sit back and allow Lansing to dictate the pace. Samantha Engel found space between two Lansing defenders two minutes in and unleashed an unstoppable blast from 18 yards out. The shot had Lansing goalkeeper M.C. Barrett beat and it was only the far post that kept the ball out and the game tied.

With that scare avoided and the wind at their back, Lansing pinned its ears back and started their onslaught. With the defense winning every ball and finding the dominant midfielders chances started to fall Lansings way. Twice senior Ellyn Grant-Keane found herself with the smallest amount of space to get shots off only to find them too high and in the Dryden keeper's hands. With a steady wind in their faces, the girls from Dryden resorted to touch-tight man marking and were tough their tackles and challenges. Whenever a white Lansing shirt received a ball, it was usually met with purple resistance. Not ones to back away from a scrap, the Lansing team felt up to the challenge and the half played out with tense one-on-one tussles in the Dryden end with the chance break that the Lansing defense was more than willing to stifle. The game would go into halftime tied 0-0, Lansing having outshot Dryden 10-1.

It would take all the years preparation and the teams indomitable spirit to beat the wind, the opponent and the occasional missed call by the referees if Lansing was to come out on top. The Lady Cats true to their m.o. came out blazing in the second half. Combinations that were not there in the first half seemingly opened up as the girls had adjusted to the conditions and tactics of Mother Nature and its foe. In the 58th minute the moment would arrive, that eagerly anticipated break that so often sprung from the Lansing midfield. G-K was allowed to wheel in deal just inside her own half where she was able to play a ball into the right side of the Dryden defense. Nina Lindberg had given chase and once at the ball won a battle with the nearest defender. G-K in the meantime had sprinted into the Dryden 18 yard box loosing her dogged marker. Up came Lindberg's eyes and a delightful ball was delivered to G-K, who with a defender on her back and Dryden keeper Julianne Prentice approaching, split the two of them with her second touch, and  calmly passed the ball into the open net. 1-0 Lansing.

Lansing defenders Carlene Fields, Lydia Warkentin, Joanna Barrett, Cassie Palladino and Kelsey Redmond handled Dryden attempts to get out with aplomb. Often taking Prentice's punts down with deft touches or playing them first time to backtracking midfielders, Lansings backline were able to almost nullify the wind factor. It would be another sweeping passing movement that would land Lansing its second goal. Again G-K would be the catylst. Picking another ball up just inside her own half she sprayed a ball to the right wing to Lindberg. The junior spotted a tightly marked Kathryn Hornibrook 25 yards in front of the Dryden goal. Hornibrook played a one-time ball to an overlapping Mary Bacorn. G-K's tireless running would again payoff as she would meet Bacorn's cross and within two touches hit the back of the net from 8 yards for Lansing's second with just under eleven minutes to go.

The Lions would not be deterred as the started to mount moments of pressure that would test Lansing's mettle. Barrett would be called on to make a highlight reel save on a 30 yard laser from a Dryden direct free kick. Leaping with impeccable timing, the Brown bound senior was able to get  single hand to the ball as she tipped the blast over the crossbar on what would have been a sure goal. Dryden would not be done and a defense splitting through ball found the feet of the speedy Engel. Once at the top of the 18 yard box, she was met by the onrushing Barrett who was able to block the shot attempt that resulted in a throw-in for the lions. With Dryden pressuring, their break would come in the 75th minute. The resulting corner kick would find the back of the net. The first goal given up in four years of sectional play would be of the "own goal" variety. With Barrett steaming off her goal-line to snag the ball, the ball would find Lansing defender Katy Bland's head and would deflect past Barrett and into the far netting. 2 -1 Lansing, five minutes to go. Dryden would get one more chance as a long ball played into the Lansing goalbox would be spilled by Barrett right at a Purple Lion foot. Somehow, someway it would not be put away and a quick reacting Redmond would clear the danger for Lansing.

And so it would end with Lansing moving on to the semi-final at Owego and the Dryden season once again being ended by the pressured but resilient Lady Cats.

With pressure mounting the Lady Cats found themselves facing the 14th-ranked  Owego team. New to Class B this year, the girls from down south had done themselves proud in competitive games against STAC Conference foes Union Endicott, Oneonta and Chenango Forks. A fast, strong, skillful team awaited the Lady Cats and it would be more than the battle waged between Lansing and Dryden. It would be for Lansing though a dream start. With Owego kicking off and with the wind in their faces, the vaunted attack duo of G-K and Hornibrook were primed to pounce. G=K stole the initial pass, dribbled past one Owego defender, dished to Hornibrook who then beat three more Owego defenders before slotting the ball past a shocked Owego keeper. Lansing 1-0, time elapsed, thirteen seconds.

In a game in which Owego was the supposed stronger, more physical team, it would be the Lady Cats who would be laying down bone jarring tackles all over the field. Owego defenders were harried, their midfielders pressed and not allowed to turn and their front runners headed off by a defensive unit led by the brickwall that is Palladino. Keeping the ball on the ground and out of the air, Lansing was able to dictate tempo and rhythm in a game between two well coached and evenly matched sides. It was a well paced and well played half by both teams and Owego would have their first real opportunity with a corner kick with five minutes remaining. Julia Pulford would place a ball on the head of teammate Lexi Hilliker and the big target player would head the ball off the Lansing crossbar out of the reach of Barrett and just over the head of Fields who was guarding the near post. The half would end 1-1 with more hotly contested action to follow.

The second half started and the ebb and flow of the game continued at a break neck pace. With the now at its back, the Lady Cats sensed a change. A feeling of physical dominance and confidence ran through the side. There were gaps being found and near misses as the Owego defense started to hang on. The fitness of the Lansing midfield started to take its toll as Owego found it harder and harder to clear the defensive end. Pressed high for what had been short goal kicks all afternoon, the deciding goal was forthcoming. A ball had fell to the Lansing midfield and was quickly relayed to G-K deep on the right side of the Owego defense. Tightroping the end-line while dodging defenders, G-K was able to square a ball to the unmarked Hornibook who tucked in her 35th goal of the season in the 59th minute. That would be the end of the scoring but not the drama.

With the game seemingly in hand, disaster struck for Lansing with twelve minutes remaining. On yet another corner kick, Tiffanie McIntosh was caught with a handful of an Owego players jersey. Whistle..foul...penalty kick. With only twelve yards separating herself and the Lansing goal, up stepped Courtney Malia. On the whistle Malia made good contact, Barrett chose the right side to dive to, and the ball whistled by the post. Wide right was the result and the biggest bullet of the season had been avoided by Lansing. The last three minutes of the game was expertly killed off by G-K in the Owego corners. With her foot on the balls and arms up the senior just had that extra little bit and had refused to let the ball be played back into the Lansing half, game over.

Up next for the ladies, Chenango Forks and a rematch of the previous two Section IV title tilts. Forks comes in as the #2 team in Class B and have been on the wrong end of two 1-0 defeats at the hands of Lansing. Kickoff is set for 2pm this saturday at Union Endicott. Lansing is in search of its fourth in a row as the climb continues to that elusive peak.

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