11/15/04
Davenport falls after second-half sputter
McGraw scores four late goals to win, 5-3
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER — CLASS D STATE QUARTERFINAL
By Nicole M. Furnia
Contributing Writer
CHITTENANGO — Davenport’s season trickled away during the second half Saturday.
Section Three champion McGraw erased a two-goal halftime deficit by scoring four times in the second half as the Wildcats’ girls soccer team fell, 5-3, in a Class D state quarterfinal at Chittenango High.
Taryn Bilodeau and Jen Rutan each had two goals and an assist for the second-ranked Eagles (22-0), who lost to Worcester in a state quarterfinal last season.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]"In the second half, I didn’t know what was going to happen," McGraw co-coach John Rutan said. "We made a few adjustments and talked about the outside of the field."
McGraw started as strong as it finished.
Jen Rutan, John’s daughter, scored off an assist from Bilodeau 40 seconds in for a 1-0 lead.
Davenport (21-1), the state’s top-ranked team, charged back with a goal in the sixth minute. After coming up empty on a corner kick three minutes in, the Wildcats tied the score when eighth-grader Chelsea Haight put a shot into the upper-right corner of the McGraw goal.
The Wildcats dominated the rest of the opening half en route to a 3-1 lead at the break.
In the 17th minute, Renee Butts passed to the far post and Courtney Adam headed the ball in for a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats made it 3-1 with just over a minute left in the half on an unassisted goal from Butts.
"We played very well in the first half," Davenport coach Ray Preston said. "We took advantage of some opportunities."
McGraw quickly stole back the momentum in the second half by testing Davenport goalie Annabel Kugler. She made two key saves in the first five minutes of the second half, the latter a push over the crossbar on a McGraw corner kick.
Davenport pushed upfield and had an opportunity on an open net when McGraw goalie Christy Mott misplayed a ball, but Sarah Bilodeau kicked it away.
The Eagles rallied hard near the midpoint of the second half. Taryn Bilodeau headed in a goal in the 19th minute and Rutan tied the score one minute later. Bilodeau then scored the go-ahead goal with 17 minutes left.
McGraw continued to pressure, bouncing a shot off Kugler’s hands with seven minutes left. Monica Byron capitalized by putting in the rebound for the final margin.
McGraw plays New Lebanon in a state semifinal at 11:30 a.m. this Friday at Union-Endicott’s Ty Cobb Stadium.
MCGRAW 5, DAVENPORT 3
Davenport (21-1): Chelsea Haight 1-0, Courtney Adam 1-0, Renee Butts 1-1.
McGraw (22-0): Jen Rutan 2-1, Taryn Bilodeau 2-1, Sarah Bilodeau 0-1, Monica Byron 1-0.
Shots-corners: Davenport 8-5; McGraw 8-4.
Goalies: Annabel Kugler (D) 7; Christy Mott (M) 7.
