Shen falls to Baldwinsville, 2-1, in regional
STILLWATER, N.Y. » The Shenendehowa girls soccer team was frustrated by Section III champion Baldwinsville Saturday afternoon during the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA regional at Stillwater High School in both halves of play that equated to a 2-1 win for the Bees.
The Plainsmen welcomed the Bees to Section II and both enjoyed the physical, quick-style of play of the section and Suburban Council even as Baldwinsville’s Hannah Mimas was able to bury two goals in the first half while Shenendehowa was only able to cut into the lead before the half, 2-1.
From there Baldwinsville put all the pressure on Shenendehowa
by not putting pressure on the Plainsmen.
“The first half they had three shots, scored two, we had 12 shots and scored one and it was very much back and forth where we kept pushing, pushing in the second half and they played that Sweden-style where they just pack it in and it was smart,” Shenendehowa Coach Holli Nirsberger said. “They ran the clock a little bit, packed it in, possess, play the corners. They’re a quality team, but definitely the first half was kind of what the flow of the whole game I would have liked to have seen it go.”
The inability to create solid scoring chances in the second half also forced the Plainsmen into a different offensive set, but continued to be at a man-disadvantage.
“We went from two forwards to three forwards to four forwards and they still had six back,” Nirsberger said. “When you’re outnumbered you’re bound to get to that ball first which is what I kept yelling is that we need to just possess, find our feet and connect at the top of attacking third which I think we really lacked in the second half.”
With the numbers advantage the Bees were continuously able to be one step ahead on each pass to the forwards, getting one foot on the ball, knocking it away or being immediately on a Plainsmen forward as they turned up field.
Every pass became another 50-50 ball opportunity with each team playing to its physical strengths and taking each other on.
“I was watching film on them this week leading up I’m like ‘They outsize us. Not necessarily in the middle
of the field as the much, the backs to our forwards they’re tall, but that’s where I said our speed is going to be a factor,” Nirsberger said. “They’re height is their strength, our speed is our factor. We just couldn’t seem to break in that last line.”
Baldwinsville advances to the NYSPHSAA Final Four to take on Section IX Monroe-Woodbury 5:30 p.m. Saturday at SUNY-Cortland. The final is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at Cortland High School.
It was 10 years between Class AA championships for the Shen girls soccer team and the reminder of the quality of state-level play was revisited on Saturday and a lesson for years to come for the Plainsmen.
“They need to proud of where they came, that’s our conversation now,” Nirsberger said. “We all had to be on today. When you’re playing a state-level tournament you all have to on.
“In the first half we talked about things that we’ve been able to get away with all season that we couldn’t get away with them today. The tempo is a little higher, the speed of play is a little higher, it’s O.K. it’s a learning lesson for our underclassmen, and it’s unfortunate for our seniors.”