Running against the wind proved to be a good thing for Oneonta High's boys soccer team Saturday.
After failing to score with the wind at their backs in the first half Saturday, the Yellowjackets received goals from Eric Deemer, Matt Arcidiacono and Josh Michelson King for a 3-0 Section Four Class B quarterfinal victory over seventh-seeded Chenango Valley at the National Soccer Hall of Fame fields.
Second-seeded Oneonta will host a sectional semifinal Wednesday against No. 6 Dryden, which upset No. 3 Lansing, 3-2, on Saturday. OHS athletic director Joe Hughes said the semifinal will start at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Soccer Hall fields.
"We were a little sluggish in the first half," OHS coach Alex Brannan said. "We had the wind in the first half and didn't score. Then we turned around into the wind and played better. (CV) didn't take any shots in the second half."
Deemer's team-leading 16th goal of the season came 3 1/2 minutes into the second half and gave OHS (14-2-1) a 1-0 lead. Deemer played a pass out to the wing to Jacob Joseph, who sent it back toward Deemer in the box. Deemer headed it into the corner.
About six minutes later, Arcidiacono passed to Joseph on the wing. Joseph sent a low pass back to Arcidiacono, who scored inside the near post to make it 2-0. It was Joseph's team-best 20th assist of the season.
With 20 minutes left, Michelson King split two defenders at the top of the 18-yard box before scoring on a 12-yard shot.
OHS had an 18-2 advantage in shots in beating the Warriors for the second time this season. The Jackets also downed CV, 4-0, on Sept. 25.
The last time the Yellowjackets won a sectional title, they beat Dryden, 3-1, in the 2006 Class B final.
"We're playing well," Brannan said. "We know we can't take anyone lightly. If we show up and play well, we should give everyone a good game. We're looking at it like we have five games left (including states)."
Alex Meschutt made two saves for his ninth shutout of the season.
Oneonta 3, CV 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS B QUARTERFINAL
at Soccer Hall fields
Chenango Valley0 0 _ 0
Oneonta0 3 _ 3
7-Chenango Valley (8-6-2): None.
2-Oneonta (14-2-1): Eric Deemer 1-0, Matt Arcidiacono 1-0, Josh Michelson King 1-0, Jacob Joseph 0-2.
Shots-corner kicks: Chenango Valley 2-2; Oneonta 18-11.
Goalies: Bryan Wagstaff (CV) 7; Alex Meschutt (O) 2.
CLASS C
Delhi 1, Union Springs 0
Carson King scored about four minutes into the second half as host Delhi won a Section Four Class C quarterfinal over No. 10 Union Springs (7-10).
Kyle Cantwell started the play by chipping a pass toward the top of the box. King headed the ball off a bounce and over Union Springs goalie Matt Orchard (12 saves), who came out of the net to stop the ball. King's 18-yard shot went to the middle of the goal.
"Carson came up pretty big for us," said Delhi coach Brian Rolfe, whose second-seeded team won its first sectional title last season with a 1-0 victory over Marathon. "He played really well."
Rolfe said King had two other chances to score in the first half, but one of his shots went wide and Orchard saved the other.
Delhi finished with a 13-6 advantage in shots. Pat Cobane made six saves for the Bulldogs (15-2).
The Bulldogs host third-seeded Greene at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a sectional semifinal. The Trojans beat the Bulldogs, 3-1, during the regular season and 2-0 in the Midstate Athletic Conference final Oct. 22.
"We're looking forward to another tough game," Rolfe said. "They are good and we're going to have to play our best."
Delhi 1, Union Springs 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS C QUARTERFINAL
Union Springs0 0 _ 0
Delhi0 1 _ 1
10-Union Springs (7-10): None.
2-Delhi (15-2): Carson King 1-0, Kyle Cantwell 0-1.
Shots-corner kicks: U 6-4; D 13-2.
Goalies: Matt Orchard (U) 12; Pat Cobane (D) 6.
Marathon 3, Walton 0
Josh Lincoln scored twice as top-seeded Marathon advanced with a shutout.
John Robinson also scored for the Olympians (13-2), who play fourth-seeded Spencer-Van Etten in a semifinal Wednesday.
Peter Adams made 13 saves for the eighth-seeded Warriors (12-6), who were outshot, 22-2.
Marathon 3, Walton 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS C QUARTERFINAL
Walton0 0 _ 0
Marathon1 2 _ 3
8-Walton (12-6): None.
1-Marathon (13-2): John Robinson 1-0, Josh Lincoln 2-0, David O'Shea 0-1, Teddy Morrison 0-1.
Shots-corner kicks: W 2-1; M 22-11.
Goalies: Peter Adams (W) 13; Evan Hall (M) 2.
CLASS D
Morris 2, SK 1
Justin Utter scored twice in the first half and fifth-seeded Morris withstood a rally to win a Section Four Class D quarterfinal at No. 4 South Kortright.
Utter opened the scoring with 13:11 left in the first half on a throw-in. From the left side, his throw went deep into the box, deflected off an SK defender and inside the near post.
Just before halftime, Matt Morlock lined a ball into the box.
"I think the wind played a trick on (SK goalie Charlie) Darling," Morris coach David Sander said of Morlock's head-high pass.
The ball bounced off Darling and went across the goalmouth, where Utter finished it from 5 yards for a 2-0 Morris lead.
The defending Section Four champion Rams (12-4-1) cut their deficit to 2-1 on a penalty kick by Tanner Metzko with 20:18 left. Morris tackled an SK player in the box to set up the pk.
With less than 10 minutes to play, SK nearly got the equalizer.
Dylan Cole took a 6-yard shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced straight down.
"Our keeper (Joe Utter) went down and the ball bounced twice on the line and didn't cross," Sander said. "One of our defenders touched it out about 4 yards and then we cleared it. Their whole bench went crazy because they thought it was in the net, but both teams were still playing. There was no whistle. The official was right on the line. We were fortunate."
Added SK coach Bob VanValkenburgh: "They took advantage of the wind in the first half. We had the wind in the second half and had our opportunities. You've got to give Morris credit because we were pounding at the door."
The Rams swept sectional titles in boys soccer, boys basketball and baseball last season, with the basketball squad completing an unbeaten season with a state title. Seven players graduated off last season's soccer team.
"I can't be more pleased with how our season went," said VanValkenburgh, who watched Darling make 10 saves. "After losing all those kids, I'm really happy with our kids."
Next for Morris (14-3-1) is a fourth meeting this season with top-seeded Cherry Valley-Springfield at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the National Soccer Hall of Fame fields. All three of Morris' losses have come against the Patriots.
"What can we do but go there and play?" asked Sander, whose team was thoroughly outplayed in a 3-0 loss to CV-S in the Tri-Valley League crossover Oct. 25 at the Soccer Hall. "We've got nothing to lose at this point. Obviously, they're the favored team.
"We have to be on our toes and we have to be aggressive," he continued. "We have to win the ball in the air. We can't let them turn and come at us. That's where we felt we lost it. We waited for them and a team that skilled, you can't wait or they'll pick you apart."
Morris 2, SK 1
SECTION FOUR CLASS D QUARTERFINAL
Morris2 0 _ 2
South Kortright0 1 _ 1
5-Morris (14-3-1): Justin Utter 2-0, Matt Morlock 0-1.
4-South Kortright (12-4-1): Tanner Metzko 1-0.
Shots-corner kicks: M 12-1; S 9-6.
Goalies: Joe Utter (M) 6; Charlie Darling (S) 10.
CV-S 3, Davenport 0
Alex Shuster, Shawn Cope and Nate Schafsteck scored, and top-seeded Cherry Valley-Springfield's defense shut out its 13th opponent en route to a Class D quarterfinal victory at home.
"We hung in tough," said Patriots coach Terri Adams, whose 17-0 squad will face No. 5 Morris in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Soccer Hall. "We played tough. The wind was a huge factor and disrupted our play a bit, and Davenport kept coming at us."
Shuster opened the scoring with 2:19 left in the first half. Brett Adams took an initial shot that Davenport goalie Brad Teator deflected. Shuster ran onto the loose ball and scored from 6 yards.
Then with 28:28 left, Cope curled in a corner kick from the right side to make it 2-0. Schafsteck capped the scoring with 6 1/2 minutes left.
Three of CV-S' shutouts have come against Morris. The Patriots beat the Mustangs, 2-0, on Aug. 28, 1-0 on Sept. 2 and 3-0 in the Tri-Valley crossover Oct. 25.
"Those guys played really hard," Adams said of her defenders _ Christian McGrath, Ethan Burst, Isaac Hardy and Reilly See.
CV-S 3, Davenport 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS D QUARTERFINAL
Davenport0 0 _ 0
Cherry Valley-Springfield1 2 _ 3
8-Davenport (10-7): None.
1-Cherry Valley-Springfield (17-0): Alex Shuster 1-0; Shawn Cope 1-0; Nate Schafsteck 1-0.
Shots-corner kicks: D 10-4; C 20-4.
Goalies: Brad Teator (D) 7; Ben VanAlstine (C) 4.
Margaretville 5, H-T 1
Javier Martinez and Abraham Morales each had two goals and an assist as second-seeded Margaretville cruised in a Class D quarterfinal at home.
The 10th-seeded Wildcats (8-6-2) cut their deficit to 2-1 on a penalty kick by Zach Davis 11 minutes into the second half. A Hunter-Tannersville player was taken down in the box to set up the pk.
But Martinez found Morales for a goal a minute later to make it 3-1.
"I like how we're playing," said Margaretville coach Jeremey Marks, whose team improved to 15-0-1 and will play third-seeded Candor at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a semifinal at the National Soccer Hall of Fame fields. "They scored on a penalty kick to make it 2-1 and we answered in a minute. That kind of showed me something. We didn't want to let this one slip away."
Margaretville, which defeated H-T, 4-1, on Sept. 18, opened the scoring 7 1/2 minutes into play. Martinez finished a pass from Tyler Smith from 12 yards. Morales then made it 2-0 by curling in a corner kick nine minutes into the second half. Marcus Moore also scored for Margaretville.
The Delaware League champion Blue Devils can advance to their second straight sectional final with a win over Candor. They lost, 1-0, to South Kortright in the 2008 Class D title game.
Wednesday's game will mark Margaretville's fourth at the Soccer Hall this season.
"We're comfortable there," Marks said. "We enjoy playing on the bigger field. We can utilize our speed and spread things out."
Margaretville 5, H-T 1
SECTION FOUR CLASS D QUARTERFINAL
Hunter-Tannersville0 1 _ 1
Margaretville1 4 _ 5
10-Hunter-Tannersville (8-6-1): Zach Davis 1-0.
2-Margaretville (15-0-1): Javier Martinez 2-1, Abraham Morales 2-1, Marcus Moore 1-0, Tyler Smith 0-1, Greg Lehn 0-1.
Shots-corner kicks: H 8-1; M 21-10.
Goalies: Nick Spychalsky (H) 13; Brian Faulkner (M) 7.
Candor 2, Laurens 1
Ethan Weeks and third-seeded Candor benefited from a strange bounce for the go-ahead goal with eight minutes left to beat visiting Laurens in a Class D quarterfinal. Weeks took an 18-yard shot from the right wing.
"One of our defenders leaped up to block it and did," Laurens coach Dave Miller said. "He popped it up in the air and over our keeper (Jesse Tilley) and dropped it in the back of the goal. It was one of those slow-motion plays, where you go, Oh, my God.' It was too bad."
The Leopards (7-6-2), seeded 11th, tied the score at 1 with seven minutes left in the first half. Dan Liddle took a shot that Candor goalie Randy Nedrow saved, but Ryan Crean scored on the rebound from 6 yards.
Ben Henry gave Candor a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.
"I think they were better than us," Miller said of Candor, which had a 12-8 advantage in shots. "I thought we matched up really evenly in the midfield, but in the attacking third, we had some problems."
The Indians (9-7), members of the Interscholastic Athletic Conference, will play No. 2 Margaretville at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Soccer Hall.
Candor 2, Laurens 1
SECTION FOUR CLASS D QUARTERFINAL
Laurens1 0 _ 1
Candor1 1 _ 2
11-Laurens (7-6-2): Ryan Crean 1-0, Dan Liddle 0-1.
3-Candor (9-7): Ben Henry 1-0, Ethan Weeks 1-1, Jason Bennett 0-1.
Shots-corner kicks: L 8-2; C 12-8.
Goalies: Jesse Tilley (L) 4; Randy Nedrow (C) 6.
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