SIDNEY — Issy Seamon’s game-winning goal with 14:47 left in regulation gave top seeded Richfield Springs/Owen D. Young its first Section IV Class D girls soccer title and sent the combined program to the state tournament for the first time with a 1-0 win over No. 3 seed Edmeston/Morris on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Sidney Central School.
“We had something to prove,” Seamon said. “We wanted people to know last year was not a fluke.”
The two-time Tri-Valley League champions lost in the section semifinals last season but never stopped working toward a comeback this year, Coach Thomas Hoose said.
“I can hardly describe how good this feels,” he said. “This is a great group of girls. Every day since the first day of the season they have shown up and worked hard. Their hard work made this happen.”
For Edmeston/Morris, it was a bitter finish. The combined schools have been a powerhouse in soccer and gave up just 19 goals this season while finishing second to RS/ODY in the TVL. However, five of the goals allowed came during three losses to the Eagles, all of which were shutouts, two of which were in championship games.
“I almost don’t know what to say,” Edmeston/Morris Co-Coach Rhoda Flint said. “We had chances. They had chances. They got one in. Ours didn’t go in. I feel like that was the only difference in the game today.”
Edmeston/Morris had more chances, outshooting RS/ODY, 10-5, including 5-1 in the first half, but getting edged in corner kicks, 3-2.
Sophie Robinson and Elle Nichols each had great shots early for E/M, with a couple going wide and one getting past goalie Jocelyn Bosc, only to be cleared by an Eagle defender.
RS/ODY played with eight players back and relied on Seamon to push the offense up the left side and make crosses to fellow striker Abby Jones.
Ultimately, that’s how the Eagles got their goal, except Seamon shot instead of passing.
“She’s a great athlete, a great leader,” Hoose said.
Seamon, in turn, praised Bosc and her defense.
“We rely on them,” she said. “They are our leaders back there.”
Bosc made six saves for RS/ODY.
McKenzie Thall had four saves for Edmeston/Morris (13-4).
Richfield Springs/Owen D. Young (16-2) will play the Section III Class D winner in the Central Region championship at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Nottingham High School in Syracuse.
Cincinnatus and Copenhagen will play in the Section III Class D finals at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 2, at SUNY Cortland.
BOYS SOCCER
Section IV Class D championship
Edmeston 3, Gilboa-Conesville/Roxbury 3,
Edmeston advances on PKs, 3-2
Edmeston and Gilboa-Conesville/Roxbury will each claim a share of the Section IV Class D boys soccer title, but the Panthers advanced to the state tournament after winning a shootout, 3-2.
Clark Braymon scored twice for Edmeston (13-2-3), which will play the Section X winner, either Heuvelton or Colton-Pierrepont, in the Class D quarterfinals at 11:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, at Chenango Valley High School in Binghamton.
For Gilboa-Conesville/Roxbury (16-0-3), Chris Cox tied the game for with 4:30 left in regulation, scoring on a cross from Roni Grieco.
Grieco also made a penalty kick earlier in the game.
After scoreless overtimes, G-C/R took a 2-0 lead on penalty kicks, before the Panthers made the comeback.
It is the first section title in boys soccer for Gilboa-Conesville and first for Roxbury since 1991. It is the first section title in boys soccer for Edmeston since 2005.