AVERILL PARK POWERED TO 2-0 ROAD WIN OVER SHEN
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. » There was several lessons learned when two of the top girls soccer teams faced off Tuesday afternoon, but the smiles on the Averill Park Warriors faces were from the positive lessons learned as they defeated perennial Suburban Council powerhouse Shenendehowa, 2- 0 on the road.
The current No. 19 ranked team in Class A as of Tuesday night could expect their stock to rise in the New York State Sportswriters Poll next week after sophomore Sydney Haskin scored both Averill Park goals and junior goalkeeper Megan Glanton turned back all 14 shots she faced for the shutout win.
“We know if we normally play our best we have a chance to stay in the game for a little while, stick around,” Averill Park coach Nathan Luskin said. “If we keep it within two goals, we’ve normally played pretty well.
“We’ve had years, four- or five- years back it was 9- 0 and we just couldn’t do anything about.
“We’re the smallest school in the Suburban, they’re the largest, and it’s pretty sweet. It’s a nice little feeling to be able to stick in there and play that hard.”
Haskin scored the opening goal with 16:52 left in the first half, working the ball inside the box and tapping it wide right. Her second goal gave the
Warriors breathing room as the Shenendehowa defense was trying to get the ball out of its own end. She found the ball on her foot with her back to the goal; she turned and fired for the precious two-goal lead.
“The first goal, I have to give that to my teammate, it was a great ball, it wasn’t all me,” Sydney Haskin said. “It was exciting, ( The second goal) I was just focused with putting the ball in the net. We weren’t expecting this, so it was big for us.”
Averill Park’s defense limited the amount of quality shots the Plainsmen would get off Tuesday afternoon.
“I think they started in a 4- 5-1 which was very organized on defense because we were having a hard time breaking through that last line of defense,” Shenendehowa coach Holli Nirsberger said. “So I think we had a hard time breaking through their very, organized, compact defense and then we put numbers forward and had a few more chances, but just not enough.
“Not enough quality shots when those small windows were open, not the chances that we are used go.”
When the Plainsmen did break through, junior goalie Megan Glanton was at the ready.
“I come into these game pumped and I try to have positive energy for my team and I just stand back there and I like try to hype them up as much as I can,” Megan Glanton said. “I may not be up there when they’re scoring, but I try to make saves back there and keep the energy up. If we start letting down we don’t play as well.”
She turned back all 14 shots she faced.
“After I make a good save I get really hyped up because I’m like ‘I just saved a great one, I can save some more,’ she said. “My defense does a great job of not letting them get those easy shots on me; they definitely help out so much.”
Tuesday’s win was big, but Luskin wanted to limit more to uplifting than defining for his Averill Park squad.
“It’s not the ultimate goal, we just talked about, the ultimate goal is to win sectionals, it has been for the past couple years,” Luskin said. “The big thing for us is just taking it when you go out and play a team that’s not Shen that we have to get as excited and as up to play as we did today. We showed up, stepped on the field and were ready.
“When we go see a Class A opponent that’s equally if not more important for sectionals, we play a couple teams from the Foothills (Council) we have to get up for that game too. If we don’t get up for that game, this isn’t going to do anything for us, it’s going to bump us back down by the time we get to the seeding meeting.”
The win by the Warriors wasn’t lost on their opposing coach who also shared several lessons during her post game meeting.
“We’re learning, we’re building and this is going to be a learning opportunity for us and I do think Averill Park looked fantastic,” Nirsberger said. “I think it’s the best Averill Park we’ve seen probably in a decade which congrats to the, kudos to them and I wish them the best of luck going forward.
“We have to build a better version of ourselves starting tomorrow. Just learn and move on.”