ONEONTA _ Brina Herr said she has one goal on a soccer field.
On Tuesday, she had two.
"All I try to do is score," said Herr, whose two goals led second-seeded Schenevus to a 2-0 victory over No. 6 Gilboa in a Section Four Class D girls semifinal at the National Soccer Hall of Fame fields.
"I guess I was just in the right place at the right time," Herr said.
A junior forward, Herr gave Gilboa's defense fits on a windy afternoon. She often slipped around defenders to win loose balls.
"It seemed like everywhere the ball was, there she was," Gilboa coach April Houghtaling said.
The Dragons (16-1) will bring 16 shutouts into their Section Four Class D final against top-seeded Davenport (17-0-1) at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, back at the Soccer Hall.
"I'm going to let today sink in and tomorrow worry about (the final)," Schenevus coach Stephanie Banks said.
The Tri-Valley League champion Dragons are seeking their first sectional title since 2000, when they beat Margaretville, 1-0, en route to reaching the state championship.
They lost that game to St. Johnsville, 1-0.
The lone blemish on Schenevus' record came in a 2-1 setback to Edmeston on Oct. 14. That game also represents the lone goals permitted by the Dragons this season.
Herr's first goal came 7 minutes, 57 seconds into play.
She controlled a loose ball about 40 yards out and dribbled between two Gilboa defenders to put her 1-on-1 with Gilboa goalie Brooke Koerner. From about 15 yards, Herr sent a hard shot to the lower-left corner for a 1-0 lead.
"One goal isn't really much of a lead," Schenevus sweeper Jayme Bentley said. "We knew it was still 0-0 in our head."
Schenevus continued to dictate play in the first half.
"We started strong today," Banks said. "I think our play in general gave us a boost. We were in sync today."
Though the Wildcats (13-5-1) didn't penetrate the Dragons defense often, they had two chances to tie it midway through the first half.
With 26:22 remaining, Jessica Caputo settled a ball that entered the penalty box on a restart. She turned and drove a shot from about 12 yards right at goalie Catherine Hernandez (four saves).
Caputo had another opportunity about 13 minutes later, but her hard shot from the right side of the box went just wide of the near post.
"They have a very solid defense," said Gilboa's Laura Potter, who finished with 27 goals this season. "They know what they are doing out there. When they shut you down, it's hard to get around them."
Added Jayme Bentley: "Our defense was good today. They have a very strong offense and we've been practicing all week on how we were going to defend it, and we did it correctly. I'm proud of my defense. They brought their A game."
The Dragons made it 2-0 with three minutes left in the opening half.
Jessica Bentley sent a bouncing ball into the box. Herr jumped past a Gilboa defender and volleyed a shot toward the left side of the goal. Initially, it looked as though it would go wide, but the soft shot slipped inside the left post.
"I didn't expect it to go in," Herr said. "The wind took it a little, so it kind of came right to me."
Potter had a pair of chances, one in the closing seconds of the first half and another four minutes into the second half. Both times, Hernandez jumped and tipped the shots over the crossbar.
"We weren't on our game today," Potter said. "Our hearts were in it, but we just weren't on top of our game. They had a better game and were the better team."
Houghtaling also gave credit to Hernandez.
"They were doing a good job on Laura," said Houghtaling, whose team tied Davenport, 2-2, in the Delaware League championship and was playing in its first sectional semifinal, "and their goalie made some nice saves. She made the difference there. They have a strong defense and a strong goalie."
Schenevus 2, Gilboa 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS D
Semifinal at National Soccer Hall of Fame
Gilboa0 0 _ 0
Schenevus2 0 _ 2
6-Gilboa (13-5-1): None.
2-Schenevus (16-1): Brina Herr 2-0, Jessica Bentley 0-1.
Shots-corner kicks: G 5-1; S 8-7.
Goalies: Catherine Hernandez (S) 4; Brooke Koerner (G) 4.
___
P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.
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