The Daily Star — Staff Report
Nothing says you’re ready for a new season like scoring two goals in the first three minutes.
That’s just what Oneonta High’s girls did Tuesday during their soccer opener at the Wright National Soccer Campus.
Coming off a 19-2 season that included their first Section Four title and first state playoff victory since 2004, the Yellowjackets received three goals from Cami Cleaveland in a 12-0 Southern Tier Athletic Conference rout of visiting Chenango Forks.
Cleaveland, a senior coming off an 18-goal season, scored the first two goals. The first came a minute into play off an assist from Brieanna Baker. One minute and 57 seconds later, Cleaveland finished a pass from Dani Nicosia to make it 2-0.
Oneonta went on to score five more times in the opening half, including two goals by Taylor Hitchcock. Nicosia and Abby Picinich also had two goals apiece for the Yellowjackets.
Baker, Taryn More and Minnie Webster also contributed goals for OHS, which held a 41-1 advantage in shots.
OHS, which graduated two starters off last season’s team, will host Owego at 7 p.m. Sept. 6.
Greene 6, Walton 1
Paige Wilcox scored six unassisted goals to lead the visiting Trojans to a non-league victory in a matchup of Midstate Athletic Conference rivals.
Wilcox’s first three goals came in the first 10 minutes.
“She is a very good player,” Walton coach Kelly Gates said of Wilcox. “She’s fast. She probably beat three to four people before taking the shot and they weren’t all close (to the goal). Her ball skills are very, very good.”
Merissa Castillo scored 14 minutes before halftime to cut Walton’s deficit to 4-1.
The Warriors lost 55 goals from last season with the graduations of Carolyn Butler and Molly Maguire, who scored 28 and 27 goals, respectively, in 2011. Butler will play soccer for SUNY Delhi this fall. Maguire is running cross country for Division I Siena.
“We are very young, but we’re really hardworking,” Gates said. “I think we have potential.”
Walton travels to Unatego today.
Davenport 1,
South Kortright 0
Sarah Haight’s goal with 22:18 left in the second half gave Davenport a first-round victory in the Stamford Mayor’s Cup.
Haight, a junior coming off a 27-goal, six-assist season, scored on a 25-yard shot in the season opener for both teams. She received a pass from Bailee Hymers before lofting shot over South Kortright goalie Kayla Craft.
“It certainly was a feeling-out process for both teams,” said Davenport coach Ray Preston, whose team went 14-2-3 last season. “Like Josh (first-year South Kortright coach Josh Burroughs) and I said, we don’t even know where people belong yet.”
First-year Davenport goalie Jayra Blanton finished with three saves, including one of the diving variety to earn the shutout.
Davenport will continue play in the Stamford Mayor’s Cup at 6 p.m. Thursday against Roxbury.
South Kortright will play at 2 p.m. Saturday against Roxbury in the Stamford Mayor’s Cup.
Edmeston 3, Norwich 0
Danielle Ruffles scored 17 minutes into play, off an assist from Kelsey Bressett, as visiting Edmeston won a non-league game.
Samantha Harrington scored later in the first half, and Bressett capped the scoring in the second half. The Panthers (2-0-1) had a 16-2 advantage in shots.
Edmeston visits Cherry Valley-Springfield on Tuesday.
