HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' SOCCER: HORSEHEADS BLANKS UNBEATEN OWEGO TO REACH STAC FINAL (24 PHOTOS) (2023-10-11)

Southern Tier Sports Report
OWEGO — Dominant defense, and timely goals have been the key for Horseheads all season, and that was exactly what they used Wednesday to top Owego in the STAC semifinals.

Facing an unbeaten Owego team, ranked seventh in the state in Class A, the Blue Raiders got one goal in each half during the win.

Ava Fairbrother made a big save for Horseheads early in the game when she stopped Owego star Erin McDonald on a one-on-one.

“That’s why I said she’s one of the best goalies in the section, if not the best,” Horseheads coach Lee Spencer said of Fairbrother. “Not many goalies would make that save.”

Owego coach Laurel Neira thinks that moment showed this was going to be a tough game between two teams that were ready to go.

“I think it just showed they were ready to go,” she said. “They were ready to play. We were too. It just didn’t go our way. They have a great goalie, we have a great goalie. They had great shots, we had great shots. It just didn’t go our way today.

“They are a strong team.”

Horseheads got on the board at 23:28. Owego goalie Olivia Dodge jumped up to knock the ball down on a cross by Emma Kamas, it bounced around a couple of times before Olivia Garvin knocked it in for the goal.

At 26:56 Owego had a penalty kick that Ashlyn Dalton pushed wide left.

With 8:25 left in the game Alexis Krohmalney took a shot fro the right side that ricocheted off the left post and into the net.

Horseheads had nine shots and three corner kicks. Fairbrother finished with 10 saves in net for the Blue Raiders.

Owego had 16 shots and one corner kick. Dodge had five saves in goal for Owego.

For the Raiders the strong defense has been a trademark of their season as they have allowed just eight goals all year.

“That’s where we have been strong all year is our defense,” Spencer said. “Very solid in the back and a very good goalie behind us, so that really helps us out when we play teams like this.

“Owego is a very good team and they were undefeated for a reason going into this game. So, a solid back and a solid goalie really helps us out.”
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.


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