WILLIAMSVILLE — Starpoint is in the midst of the greatest season in program history. For it to continue, the Spartans had to get through arguably the best team in Section VI over the last decade.
Unbeaten Starpoint needed to get through a Lewiston-Porter team seeking its seven sectional title in eight seasons. It’s also a Lancers team that has appeared in the state quarterfinals twice since 2021.
By halftime, it was clear Starpoint declared it was time for a new champion. The Spartans extended their program-record 19-0-0 season and won their first sectional title with a win over Lew-Port in the Section VI Class A championship Saturday at Williamsville North High School.
“This means so much. I remember when I was an eighth grader back in semifinals, we lost, it was heartbreaking,” Starpoint sophomore Tricia Ostrowski said. “Now two or three years later it’s awesome. I’m so proud of the whole team and I’m just really happy.”
Starpoint is one win from reaching states and will play the Section V champion at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at Geneseo High School.
“I’m just so proud of these girls,” Starpoint head coach Kristen Casero said. “This is everything that they have strived this season for, and to not only make it to finals but now advance it means the world to me, and I’m just so happy for them.”
The Spartans drew a free kick from 25 yards out and they cashed in when Grace Crissman bent it in to push her team in front 1-0 with 25:41 to go in the opening half. The Spartans doubled their lead later in the frame to go up 2-0. The Spartans two goals means they have now scored at least two goals in 19 consecutive games dating back to last season.
There was one stretch during the second half where Crissman went down after heading a ball and had to be held out of the game momentarily while being evaluated for a concussion. The junior was able to come back and play the rest of the game but while she was out of the contest, the Lancers were able to play through the middle and had their best chances of the day to score.
One of the biggest reasons for the win was Ostrowski, who made multiple big defensive plays to prevent Lew-Port’s chances. Any time Lew-Port crossed midfield, Ostrowski was seemingly there to boot the ball down the field or out of bounds, snuffing out potential runs.
“We kind of gave ourselves the problems because we weren’t making really good runs like we usually do,” Lewiston-Porter head coach Emily Brook said. “So I don’t know if it was nerves, we’re a young team. … I don’t know if the nerves got the best of us but their number 15 (Ostrowski), she was everywhere against us on defense. So that gave us a little bit of a headache. We were supposed to be trying to play away from her but we still kept finding her.”
In total, the Lancers had four shots on goal while the Spartans had eight shots on goal. Despite the loss, the Lancers were not crestfallen in defeat and instead reflected on the season.
Even though the season ended without a sectional title for the first time in five seasons, the Lancers only have two seniors on the roster. Their top-seven scorers are due back next season, including seventh-grader Lauren Toohey, who led the team with 16 goals and 13 assists.
“I think this is something to be proud of, we’re a young team,” Brook said. “We lost 10 seniors last year, I want to say six or seven were starters. We lost a huge number of starters and some of the girls filling in for them are freshmen so we’re a young team. So I expect us to keep the momentum going for the future.”
Wilson 1, Frewsburg 0
The Wilson Lakewomen have slayed the demon.
After losing to Frewsburg in each of the last four seasons, the Lakewomen have gotten their revenge with a 1-0 win in the Section VI Class C championship game, Saturday.
The win gives the Lakewomen their first sectional title since 2015 after falling in the championship game five times since. Wilson can clinch a berth to states with a win in the Far West Regional against the Section V champion at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at Geneseo High School.
“It means a lot, just with how close we’ve been coming the last couple years and it being this group of girls, that was able to finally get over the hump and win this game,” Wilson head coach Jeff Hart said. “It’s definitely the most memorable moment in my coaching career.”
The game’s lone goal was scored by Zoey Beck in the second half. In between the sticks, Wilson’s Brooke Urban saved all five shots she faced. Frewsburg’s Elysse Gruber made six saves on seven shots.
When the clock hit zero, Hart and his team were in shock as they took in what they had just accomplished.
“It felt surreal,” Hart said. “It just felt like a lot of relief more than anything just with how close these girls have come and the fact that they’ve come up against the same team four years in a row. It just felt like they really deserved the win, they deserved everything they got.”