With a win streak into sectionals, Guilderland readies another run
The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Hip check: Guilderland’s Alexandra Benjamin, right, battles a Mohonasen opponent for the ball, top left, as it approaches off of a throw-in during last Thursday’s final regular-season game. The Dutch won, 3 to 0, finishing at 11-5 in the Suburban Council as Class AA sectionals approach; Guilderland will host Niskayuna on Tuesday.
The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Scoring in the sunset: Senior Emma Oliver scored two goals for Guilderland last Thursday in a win against Mohonasen, and here she shoots towards the far post for her second goal with 3:45 remaining in regulation play. Before this goal, Mohonasen goalie Saeeda Abdul-Aziz, left, dove to save a shot by Oliver, and then Oliver later hit the crossbar on another strike.
The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
The Guilderland girls’ soccer team finished the regular season with the fourth best record (11-5) in the competitive Suburban Council after a 3-to-0 home victory over Mohonasen last Thursday. Here, Emma Daviero, right, heads the ball, top, for the Dutch. Guilderland won a Class AA championship in 2012.
The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Warrior: Mohonasen’s Maddie Egan, middle, tries to dribble past Guilderland’s Alexandra Benjamin, right, during a game in Guilderland last Thursday. The Dutch won, 3 to 0, on goals scored by Emma Oliver and Hayley Kmack.
The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Chase scene: Dutch forward Jen Bartlett (#16) goes after the soccer ball last Thursday during the final regular-season game against Mohonasen. Bartlett, an eighth-grader, was recently brought up to the varsity team from junior varsity.
GUILDERLAND — Getting knocked out of the playoffs early the year before can leave a team with something left to prove the next time around. And winning 11 games in the challenging Suburban Council gives the Guilderland girls’ soccer team a chance for redemption in 2014.
In the wider picture, Guilderland has done a good job with keeping itself relevant as a Class AA title contender since 2011. The Dutch have played well every season, and made the state semifinals in 2012 after its first-ever sectional championship.
“It felt a little bit raw,” Guilderland Head Coach Curtis Snyder said last Thursday of the 2013 playoffs; the Dutch suffered a 1-to-0 loss to Saratoga in the semifinals despite being the top team. “We thought we could go further. The girls that were there told the new girls what it was like.”
Certainly, it wasn’t a great feeling; losing is always terrible. However, Snyder told The Enterprise that winning isn’t the most important aspect.
“I want us to come together and feel good about how we played, and, if we win, that’s awesome,” said Snyder. “You can get over losing if you gave it all that you had.”
Senior captains Rebecca Golderman and Emma Oliver played an important role in Guilderland’s run to states in 2012, and Snyder thinks that they’ve put some pressure on themselves to carry the team this year. Oliver scored two goals in last Thursday’s 3-to-0 win over Mohonasen.
“We never talk about past seasons or compare because that’s impossible to do,” Snyder said. “But, they feel like they want to do some great things. Winning 11 games in the Suburban is a great thing, but they want a great postseason, too.”
Guilderland is the fourth seed in Class AA behind Saratoga, Shenendehowa, and Columbia, which all beat the Dutch this season. Guilderland hosts Niskayuna next Tuesday in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m.
“We’re at the level of those top teams, right in the mix, but we struggle against them,” Oliver said. “When we all push each other to play our best, we can play very well together.”
The Dutch began the season with two losses, then won seven straight games before losing three in a row, and then finished with four consecutive victories.
“Ending the season on a winning streak is always nice,” said sophomore Hayley Kmack, who scored a goal off of a corner kick for Guilderland last Thursday. “We get excited for any game. We’re ready to go, and we play hard, so I think we have a good chance.”
Guilderland wasn’t very strong coming into this season, Oliver said, but she’s seen her team improve. “We’re playing the ball to feet more often,” she said. “We had to go back to basic skills and work on that. Everyone’s touches started getting cleaner, our shots have gotten better, and we have a better understanding of the game.”
Snyder feels Guilderland starting to gel.
“They’re starting to understand how each other plays — when to make a run, when to hold back, and how this girl will deliver the ball,” said Snyder. “Plus, it’s always good to end the regular season on a win streak. It gives you momentum.”
The Dutch have had another successful soccer season. However, sectionals are “another ball of wax,” Snyder says. Expectations mean little.
“I feel good about it,” Oliver said. “We had two low points, but we brought it back up to get a really good record.”