HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER: SECTION FOUR CLASS A SEMIFINAL

By Rob Centorani

Contributing Writer

ENDWELL — When Watergate and the impeachment of Bill Clinton can be used for historical perspective, some impressive streaks must be involved.

Oneonta High saw streaks of 32 and seven years end Friday with a 2-0 loss to Maine-Endwell in a Section Four Class A girls soccer semifinal.

The top-seeded Spartans (12-5-1) received a goal from freshman Jamie Holiday 33 seconds into play, and their air-tight defense he[an error occurred while processing this directive]ld the fourth-seeded Jackets to three shots.

The Yellowjackets ended the season 8-9-1, the first losing season since the program’s inception in 1974. About a month before OHS played its first game that year, Richard Nixon avoided impeachment by resigning from office.

In December of 1998, Clinton was impeached about a month before OHS lost, 3-2, to Maine-Endwell in a Section Four Class B title game. The Yellowjackets didn’t lose again in sectionals until Friday, a streak that spanned 17 games and resulted in six straight sectional titles.

"Helen made (the program) the standard bearer for not only the section but the state," second-year OHS coach Jerry Mackey said of former coach Helen Sandford, who won a state-record 440 games from 1974-2003. "For the most part, we’ve been the dominant team or one of the most dominant teams at this time of year.

"This year, we were one of the better teams, but certainly not the best team on paper," he continued. "You always hate to see it end."

On a cloudy and brisk autumn day, Oneonta was at a disadvantage almost from the outset. The Yellowjackets started with the ball, but quickly turned it over.

Maine-Endwell’s Stefani Knopick soon controlled the ball along the right sideline. About 10 yards short of midfield, she sent a long ball in the direction Holiday, who was behind Oneonta’s defense about 30 yards from the goal. Holiday was one-on-one with OHS keeper Heather Craig in the center of the field. She took the shot from 10 yards and scored into the right corner.

"I didn’t think it would go in," Holiday said. "I was thinking this was way too early and there’s no way, but it went in. I think it was huge in getting the girls fired up."

Mackey said he talked to his team on the bus about M-E coming out strong.

"I was frustrated because I should have had them more prepared," he said. "We start with the ball and they score 30 seconds into play — that’s almost not even physically possible."

It stayed that way until late in the first half, when Taylor Kucharski set up Kelsey Griffith on a header 1:06 before halftime.

The play started with a throw-in deep into Oneonta’s end. Kucharski settled the ball in the box before lining a cross to Griffin, who was 10 yards away in the center of the box. Griffin crouched and leaned forward for a header inside the right post.

"I was kind of sitting at the right place at the right time," Griffin said. "I crouched down because I didn’t think I could get my foot on it."

Junior Griffin said the victory was especially satisfying because she was on the field last year, when third-seeded Oneonta beat top-seeded M-E, 2-0, to win the sectional title.

"We’ve been battling with them for years and last year was really heartbreaking," she said, "so it was really good to finally win against them (in a final)."

Oneonta, which split two games against M-E during the regular season, had a couple decent scoring chances.

Marie O’Malley, one of four seniors on Oneonta’s roster, took a lofted shot from the right wing from 20 yards that, at first glance, appeared to go inside the far post. But the ball actually hit the netting on a field hockey goal that was positioned just behind the soccer goal. That came with 32 minutes left.

Then, with 13½ minutes left, freshman Cha Cha Naito had a good look from inside the box, but her low shot went wide of the near post.

The Jackets return 15 players next season, including an eighth-grader, two freshman and six sophomores from this season’s roster.

"I think this season, all the girls who had been playing together (graduated) and all these girls who have been playing together came up and they’re going to get better," OHS senior Kate Jaffie said. "This is almost like a JV team. We just got caught in a bad year."

Added Mackey: "We had more young kids than probably ever and they weren’t just on the team, they were playing."

MAINE-ENDWELL 2, ONEONTA 0

1-Maine-Endwell 2 0 — 2

Oneonta (8-9-1): None.

Maine-Endwell (12-5-1): Jamie Holiday 1-0, Stefani Knopick 0-1, Kelsey Griffith 1-0, Taylor Kucharski 0-1.

Shots-cornerkicks: O 3-1; M 15-3.

Goalies: Heather Craig (O) 5; Cassandra Heath (M) 1.

———

STREAK SNAPPED

Game-by-game look at the 17-game sectional unbeaten streak OHS had snapped Friday.

Oct. 29: OHS 3, Maine-Endwell 0 (Class B semifinal)

Nov. 6: OHS 3, Chenango Valley 0 (Class B final)

Nov. 1: OHS 1, Chenango Valley 0 (Class B semifinal)

Nov. 4: OHS 2, Maine-Endwell 1 (Class B final)

Oct. 26: OHS 5, Owego 0 (Class B semifinal)

Nov. 3: OHS 3, Maine-Endwell 0 (Class B final)

Nov. 2: OHS 2, Dryden 1 (Class B final)

Nov. 1: OHS 1, Dryden 1 (OHS wins shootout, 2-1, in Class B final)

Oct. 30: OHS 4, Owego 2 (Class A semifinal)

Nov. 5: OHS 2, Maine-Endwell 0 (Class A final)

Oct. 28: Maine-Endwell 2, OHS 0

The streak started after a 3-2 loss to Maine-Endwell in the Section Four Class B title game Nov. 7, 1998.

———

KICKED WHILE THEY’RE DOWN

Season-by-season records for Oneonta High girls soccer. OHS finished the 2005 season 8-9-1, marking the first losing season in the 32-year history of the program.

1974 5-5-3

1975 9-2-2

1976 14-1-0

1977 13-2-0

1978 9-5-3

1979 12-3-1

1980 13-5-2

1981 11-6-2

1982 13-7-0

1983 13-6-1

1984 14-6-0

1985 17-4-1

1986 17-5-0

1987 14-5-0

1988 18-5-0

1989 10-7-1

1990 10-7-0

1991 9-5-2

1992 14-6-0

1993 17-2-0

1994 14-4-2

1995 19-2-0

1996 20-2-2

1997 19-4-0

1998 17-4-0

1999 19-2-1

2000 21-2-1

2001 21-3-0

2002 18-3-0

2003 21-1-1

Career 440-121-25

2004 16-4-3

2005 8-9-1

Career 24-13-4

1978: OHS wins Section Four Class A title.

1979: OHS wins first Southern Tier Athletic Conference girls soccer title in five-team league.

1984: OHS wins STAC, Section Four Class B titles; loses to Solvay, 1-0, in first round of Class B state playoffs.

1985: OHS wins Section Four Class B title; loses to Hilton, 1-0, in state semifinals after winning two state-tournament games.

1986: OHS wins Section Four Class B title.

1988: OHS wins Section Four Class B title; loses to Rockville Centre Southside, 3-0, in state semifinals.

1992: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class C titles.

1993: OHS wins Susquenango Association title.

1994: OHS wins Susquenango Association title; shares Section Four Class B title with Maine-Endwell.

1995: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class B titles; loses in state quarterfinals.

1996: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class B titles; tied eventual state champion Westhill, 1-1, in four overtimes in state tournament; Westhill advanced on penalty kicks.

1997: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class B titles; loses in state semifinals.

1998: OHS wins Susquenango Association title.

1999: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class B titles.

2000: OHS wins Susquenango Association, Section Four Class B titles; loses state championship to Aquinas, 1-0.

2001: OHS starts season 7-1, giving 28th-year coach Helen Sandford the state record for career victories (388) with a 10-0 defeat of Windsor on Sept. 21 at the Wright National Soccer Campus.

2001: OHS wins Section Four Class B championship; loses in state semifinals to Rochester Aquinas, 2-1, in overtime.

2002: OHS wins Section Four Class B title; falls to New Paltz, 1-0, in first round of states.

2003: OHS wins first Southern Tier Athletic Conference title since 1984; wins Section Four Class B title; falls to Marcellus, 1-0, in double-overtime of state final.

2004: Helen Sandford retires as OHS coach with an all-time state record for victories. Her final record is 440-121-25 and includes 15 sectional championships and 12 league titles.

2004: Assistant coach Jerry Mackey named OHS head coach. Leads OHS to Section Four Class A title; falls to Rockville Centre South Side, 2-0, in state championship.

2005: OHS loses first sectional game in seven seasons as top-seeded Maine-Endwell wins Section Four Class A semifinal, 2-0; OHS finishes with 8-9-1 record, marking program’s first losing season.

• OHS played in the Southern Tier Athletic Conference from 1979-1991.

• OHS played in the Susquenango Association from 1992-2000.

• OHS rejoined the STAC in 2001.