Sports Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, October 20, 2011
Lady Dutch soccer completes season sweep of rival Eagles –– takes over first place
By Jordan J. Michael
BETHLEHEM –– Oh, how the tides have turned. After being owned by Bethlehem for about seven years, the Guilderland girls’ soccer team now has the Eagles’ number.
The confident Lady Dutch went to Bethlehem last Thursday and left with a 3-to-1 win after dominating most of the game. Guilderland, first in its Suburban Council division with a 9-2-2 record, had already beaten the Eagles, 4 to 1, in the first game of the season.
It’s been a long time since Guilderland had success against its rival. Head Coach Curtis Snyder couldn’t recall the last time the Dutch swept Bethlehem in the regular season.
“I feel really good for these girls,” said Snyder, who took over for long-time coach Barb Newton this year. “We’ve made our mark, and now we’re in the driver’s seat.”
Junior goalkeeper Jenna Cubello told The Enterprise that Guilderland is “really excited” after beating Bethlehem twice, but that’s not the only reason. Cubello has seen a lot of improvements from her team.
“We’re looking really good, but we don’t want to make this seem easy,” said Cubello. “We’re possessing the ball and spreading the field a little wider. We never let down.”
Guilderland had a persistent attack on Thursday with shots coming in from every direction. Sophomore Lauren Kogelmann had a beautiful strike in the first half that turned out to be the game-winner. The shot was placed in the very top right corner of the goal, making it virtually unreachable.
“I shot it as hard as I could,” Kogelmann said of the goal that put the Dutch up, 2 to 1. She scored another goal in the second half. “We just go for it and keep pushing forward. We knew what we had to do; play our hardest and never let down.”
In a perfect example of Guilderland’s dedication this season, junior Kara Carman played in the second half after hyperextending her right elbow in the first half. The athletic trainer taped up Carman’s arm at halftime and she was good to go.
“The outlook is always positive,” Snyder said. “We’re never dwelling on the negative. These girls aren’t out there playing for me; we’re in this together. They truly believe.”
This triumph over Bethlehem may seem sudden, but the Lady Dutch have been building new chemistry all season. Snyder said that the team is constantly bonding, on and off the field. “They like each other and play for each other,” he said. “Not every team has that.”
Bethlehem Head Coach Tom Rogan knew Guilderland was going to be good this season, but good enough to beat his team twice in two months?
“They have fast kids who go to the goal and they’re good off the dribble,” Rogan said of the Dutch. “They’ve got a lot of talent. I spent 70 minutes talking to myself.”
Taking care of the Eagles was a huge goal for the Lady Dutch this season, but Snyder said that his team isn’t done climbing. Guilderland hasn’t won a Suburban Council title since 1977 and it has never won a Class AA championship.
“We really wanted to win and do well,” Kogelmann said.
With immediate success, egos could build, but Cubello doesn’t see that happening.
“We don’t really care what people will say,” said Cubello, who has turned into a fine goalie. “We just focus and play our game.”