SECTION 4 GIRLS' SOCCER: ND RALLIES FOR 2-1 WIN IN SECTIONAL QUARTERS (24 PHOTOS) (2024-10-25)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
SOUTHPORT — The Notre Dame girls’ soccer team fell behind early, and was tested throughout in a one vs. eight Section 4, Class C quarterfinal on Friday, before coming out on top, 2-1.

Newark Valley got on the board first, and were locked in a close game all night, but a second-half header by Notre Dame’s Makenna Keough was the difference as top-seeded Notre Dame won 2-1 in the Section 4, Class C playoffs.

Newark Valley struck first at 18:51 of the first half when Ella Kringle corralled a rebound and put it into the net.

“Ella had it, it was great,” Schneider said. “She was able to follow it up. We talked about that the day before. Make sure you follow it up and she did a great job following it up and being able to put it in for us.”

Late in the first half Notre Dame’s MK Young got a breakaway and found the back of the net just 1:24 before the half to tie the game.

“I was so excited, and I was like, just please make the goal, just please score,” Young said.

For Notre Dame they know how important it was to tie the game before the half.

“I’m happy we were able to come back because we were down 1-0,” Keough said. “It helped our mindset to not go into the second half down.”

The game stayed tied until the middle of the second half, when Keough took a feed from Young, watched it take one hop and headed it home for the game winner at 26:55 of the second half.

“I was just like it’s coming to my head so I have to head it in,” Keough said. “It was a great ball she played. I was like, make it go, make it go in. It was a great ball.”

Young knew her senior teammate would get the ball.

“I knew she was going to get it. I was thinking more chest, head, whatever she could do,” Keough said.

While the goal felt great the Crusaders knew they couldn’t let up.

“It felt great, but I knew we had to stay into it,” Keough said. “The rest of the game we had to manage the plan and pack the box and play more defensively.”

Schneider was happy with the effort by his team throughout.

“I am really proud of them,” Newark Valley coach Chuck Schneider said. “You would never know this was a one vs. eight game with it ending 2-1 and how hard we came out right away. They played hard. They put it too them and it was back and forth.”

Both teams stayed on the offensive.

Leah O’Connell had a one-on-one with the goalie that hit off the post with 13 minutes left and in the final minutes Newark Valley had back-to-back corner kicks.

“About four of our games this year were decided in the last minute of the game where we scored and won the game, or tied it up to go to overtime,” Schneider said. “We had the mentality the game isn’t over until the horn sounds.

“I am extremely proud of this team. They have had the mindset all year of don’t give up, work until the end. I can’t be more proud of this team.”

The Crusaders knew it was all hands on deck defensively with the lead.

“It was chaotic, but we had to work together to keep it out,” Keough said. “They had some tall girls, so we knew we had to have people on them. Payton (Sutryk), our goalie, needed to use her voice and she did a great job.”

Getting this first win in sectionals was big for the Crusaders.

“I feel like the first game in sectionals is the one you are most nervous for,” Keough said.

While they were the top seed, the Crusaders knew they’d have to be ready if they wanted to get past Newark Valley.

“We knew to come into it not thinking it would be an easy win,” Keough said. “We knew we had to play hard.”

And, the Notre Dame players did not want this game to end, and didn’t want the careers to end for the seniors.

“We talk about that every day in practice, you have to come and play for the seniors,” Young said.

Notre Dame will host Unatego at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the semifinals. Unatego beat Groton 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:


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