SECTION 4 GIRLS' SOCCER: CORNING EDGED BY ITHACA IN OT IN SECTIONAL SEMIS (24 PHOTOS) (October 22, 2026)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
CORNING — After 80 minutes without any goals, the Ithaca Little Red needed 1:09 of overtime to pick up a 1-0 victory over the Corning Hawks on Thursday in the Section IV, Class AAA semifinals. 

“Just a flukey read on our part, I think,” Corning coach Julie Pierce said. “My girls, there was a time going into the Horseheads game I didn’t even think we were going to make sectionals. We had to battle through some things and I think they proved to each other and to themselves that they can play with anyone.

“We came up short tonight, but I was pleased with our effort. I was pleased with our chances. I feel like with the ebbs and flows of the game, where we had a lot of momentum, and they had a lot of momentum, and we had momentum, I thought they closed out the game with more momentum then us. We kind of got frantic down here. We regrouped and then I don’t know if maybe my goalie went out a little far and they capitalized, they finished.”

Ithaca’s Olivia Mullins took the ball just inside midfield, cut to the outside and got the ball to Sonia Enns. Corning goalie Karina Swarthout came out and it looked like she corralled the ball, but the ball got poked free and Enns was able to get the ball in front of the net to Sophie Templier for the game-winning goal. 

“They were very good on the wings,” Pierce said. 

It was Corning that came out on fire, recording multiple shots in the opening five minutes of the game, including a shot to the right side of the net, while the goalie was on the left side. An Ithaca defender came in and knocked the ball away to save the goal. 

“I also wanted to say hats off to Ithaca,” Pierce said. “They played a hard-fought game and executed a great game plan.”

Corning’s defense held up through all of regulation, including a big play on an Ithaca corner kick where Ashlynn Musto prevented a goal by heading the ball from right in front of the net into the arms of goalie Swarhout for the save. 

Despite the loss the Hawks are happy with the season they had.

“We are young in a lot of ways and we are going to grow,” Pierce said. “I told them you don’t lose at this point, you are learning. We get back after it, a lot of these kids are soccer players. They are going to play a lot of soccer between now and next year. I couldn’t be prouder, we really thought going into Horseheads, we had to win one, we had to beat Horseheads or Ithaca. That’s pretty lofty and we won them both. A lot of pride in them for that.”

Ithaca had an 8-4 edge in shots and Corning had a 3-1 edge in corner kicks. Swarthout had seven saves in goal for the Hawks. 
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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