News and Announcements
Blue Devils claim title with 1-0 over Susquehanna Valley
There was an unlikely hero Monday as Elmira Free Academy won its first Southern Tier Athletic Conference boys soccer championship.
The Blue Devils (10-7-1) got a late goal from sophomore reserve Kail Burfield to beat Susquehanna Valley 1-0 at Marty Harrigan Field. Burfield, who scored his first goal of the season, was mobbed by teammates near midfield in celebration of the hard-fought game's only goal.
The scoring sequence, with a little less than 10 minutes left to play, came after an EFA corner kick when Burfield intercepted the ball on a Sabers clearing pass.
"At first I thought I might volley it, but I just put it on the ground and the shot opened up," Burfield said. "I was really surprise it went in."
"He does that all the time in practice," said EFA leading scorer Frankie Mannino, who was marked closely all game by a tight SV defense. "This is what we've worked for all season. We made history today, and it's been a long time coming. I've been on this team three years and we've always wanted to get the STAC title."
EFA outworked the Sabers in the first half, earning a 9-5 shots advantage, but got nothing to show for it. Susquehanna Valley, ranked No. 7 in Class B in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association poll, controlled the momentum for the first 30 minutes of the second half, even scoring what looked like the game's first goal, until it was waved off by the officials. That's when Blue Devils goal keeper Brian Poppleton snatched the momentum back with a couple of nice saves, including one where he stretched out across the goal to get a hand on a shot that was rolling for the corner.
"I thought their keeper came up big," Susquehanna Valley coach Al Mydlinski said. "That one where he dived and got a hand on the header changed the game. At this level you have to depend on someone to make a big play, and that was it. Then they got some confidence and started pressuring us."
Thirty seconds after Poppleton's diving save, it was a hard shot on goal from the right wing by EFA junior Ross Holden that was parried away by Sabers goalie Matt Schell and produced a corner kick. And Holden, who boots the corners, put the ball in play that preceded Burfield's goal.
Dominant defense was the key for EFA again. Almost half of the Blue Devils' games have had 1-0 scores, including four losses. Senior stopper Mike McGinnis said it wasn't a perfect day, but the Devils' D did its job.
"I wouldn't say we didn't make any mistakes," McGinnis said. "But we did what we were supposed to do. We got the ball to midfield. I'm just amazed that we won it."
EFA, who advanced to the title game over Johnson City on Saturday in penalty kicks, had 13 shots and seven corners. Susquehanna Valley came back with seven shots in the second half to total 12 shots, and the Sabers had just three corners.
"Our defense has kept us in games," Poppleton said. "And our team has thrived on adversity. That's what's made us better and got us to this game."
EFA coach Derek Hamilton also mentioned adversity as a building block for the success of this Devils team.
"We've had trouble all season putting our best 11 players on the field at the same time," Hamilton said. "We've had injuries and ineligible players, and it just seemed like there were a lot of obstacles.
"Today, Brian came up big. Some people may not know, but he's been doing that all year. And as far as Kail's goal, whenever you put a good shot on goal that's what can happen. It came at the perfect time. We can celebrate a little, but now we've got to concentrate on sectional games."
EFA Scoring - Burfield (1-0)
Shots/Corners - EFA (12-8), Susquehanna Valley (8-4)
Saves - EFA (Poppleton - 6), SV (Schell - 6)
Unlikely Source Sinks Susquehanna Valley
Burfield's first goal the game-winner
Elmira Free Academy sophomore Kail Burfield scored his first varsity goal with 9:03 remaining in the second half, giving the host Blue Devils a 1-0 victory over SV in the STAC final.
Brian Poppleton made six saves for EFA (9-7-2), which won its first STAC title since joining the league in 1999.
"For the program as a whole, from where we came from when I first started here four years ago, this is huge," EFA coach Derek Hamilton said. "This goes to the kids who put the time and effort into this program. They've established a winning mentality, and I couldn't be prouder of these 19 guys."
In a thrilling back-and-forth contest which featured several momentum swings, it was a surprise goal that proved to be the difference.
With the match scoreless, EFA sent a corner kick from the right side toward the box.
An SV defender attempted to clear the ball, but it went straight to Burfield, who briefly set himself before firing a hard 30-yard shot from the middle into the right side of the Sabers' net for the game-winner.
"All my friends joke with me because I'm bad at volleys," Burfield said. "So I took a chance, I didn't try to volley and just kicked it as hard as I could at the goal."
Said Hamilton of Burfield's game-winner: "We knew Kail had an absolute cannon on his right leg, but what he's struggled with all season was that first touch, getting the ball in position to strike it.
"He hit a laser, it didn't get more than two feet off the ground. You hate to see a game won or lost on a bad goal, but we earned that one, it was a fantastic shot."
Burfield's goal came a little over a minute after Poppleton made a phenomenal save that prevented SV (13-4-1) from taking a 1-0 lead.
On the play, SV's Ronnie Graham received a pass inside the box and sent a header toward the upper left side of the EFA net.
It looked like a certain goal, but a leaping Poppleton managed to deflect the ball the ball away to keep the match scoreless.
"That was the key play of the game," SV coach Al Mydlinski said of Poppleton's save. "That was in the net. He made a save and that denied us a goal.
"Other than that, I thought the game was battled up and down the field, and both teams had numerous opportunities."
SV entered Monday on a nine-match winning streak, including a 1-0 semifinal victory over defending champion Vestal on Friday.
But the Sabers were far from sharp early on. EFA controlled much of the play in the first half, outshooting SV, 7-5, with seven corner kick opportunities to the Sabers' one.
SV played significantly better in the second half, garnering the majority of the scoring opportunities.
"I thought we played very well in the second half," said Mydlinski, who scolded his team at halftime for its poor first-half play. "We just didn't put one in and they did."
Devils Face Hot Susquehanna Valley Squad in STAC Final
SV enters STAC final on a roll
SV, ranked seventh in last week's state Class B rankings, is led by senior Steven Rathbun, who has a team-high 25 goals with six assists this season. Junior Preston Patak has scored nine times with eight assists and eighth-grader Michael Rood leads the team with nine assists.
Ah, and let's not forget Ronnie Graham, whose goal in sudden-death overtime lifted the Sabers (13-3-1) to a 1-0 victory over visiting Vestal in a STAC semifinal on Friday.
Vestal, which had gone undefeated in league play during the regular season, had won five of the last six STAC titles.
When asked what has led to the stellar play after a 4-3-1 start, SV coach Al Mydlinski said, "Against our opponents we have controlled the midfield. We're also getting the ball to our strikers in good scoring opportunities."
Mydlinski also credited the defense, which has given up two goals during the streak.
The defense features goalie Mike Schell and defenders Devin Lash, Josh Pappas, Spencer Hogan and James McKeage.
Mydlinski was in attendance Saturday for Elmira Free Academy's 1-1 tie at Johnson City. The Blue Devils (9-7-1) advanced on penalty kicks, 5-3.
EFA's Charlie Anderson booted in the clinching goal.
"I was impressed," Mydlinski said. "They're a very, very good team. They have some good speed up front. And their goalkeeper (Brian Poppleton) made some excellent saves to keep them in the game."
EFA is playing in its first STAC championship match.
EFA Boys Advance to STAC Soccer Finals!!
Blue Devils down Johnson City in shootout
The Elmira Free Academy boys soccer team earned a trip to its first Southern Tier Athletic Conference championship game Saturday afternoon with a shootout victory at Johnson City.
The game was tied 1-1 after two 40-minute halves, two 10-minute overtime periods, and two more five-minute overtime periods. EFA (9-7-1) then won the penalty-kick shootout 5-3, with Charlie Anderson booting in the clinching goal.
The Blue Devils will host Susquehanna Valley on Monday afternoon in the STAC finals, with 3:30 p.m. the likely starting time. Susquehanna Valley beat Vestal 1-0 on Friday in the other semifinal.
Johnson City came into Saturday's game with a 15-1 record and ranked third in the state in Class A by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
The game was scoreless until Frankie Mannino scored for EFA with eight minutes left in regulation. Johnson City's Brad Mizera sent the game to overtime with a goal with two minutes left.
"I'm extremely proud of my team and the way they fought back, with Johnson City tying the game late," EFA coach Derek Hamilton said. "They deserve everything they're getting this season, putting themselves in the STAC finals for the first time in EFA history."
Hamilton said both teams had chances to score in overtime but couldn't convert.
EFA goalie Brian Poppleton made 13 saves. Johnson City had a 16-11 edge in shots.
"It was a very good game between two very good programs," Hamilton said.
___________________________________________________________________
JC loses STAC semi in shootout
JOHNSON CITY -- Elmira Free Academy defeated Johnson City in a shootout Saturday to advance to its first Southern Tier Athletic Conference championship.
The Blue Devils (9-7-1) will host Susquehanna Valley (13-4-1) at 3:30 p.m. Monday. The Sabers defeated Vestal, 1-0, in sudden-death overtime Friday.
EFA and JC battled to a 1-1 tie 110 minutes of playing time. But EFA won the shootout 5-3 with Charlie Anderson booting the clinching goal.
JC's Brad Mizera sent the match to overtime when he scored with 2:02 remaining in the second half for the Wildcats (15-2).
"I don't think we played our game today," Johnson City coach Hristos Dimitriou said. "The ball just didn't bounce our way."
In the five-man shootout, the first miss came when JC kicked the ball over the crossbar on its third attempt.
After both teams converted on its fourth try, Anderson scored to seal it.
EFA Scoring - Mannino (1-0), Holden (0-1)
Johnson City Scoring - Mizera (1-0)
Shots/Corners - EFA (11-9), Johnson City (16-8)
Saves - EFA (Poppleton - 13), Johnson City (10)
EFA Boys Top Seed For Soccer Sectionals
The Elmira Free Academy boys soccer team has earned the top seed for the Section 4 Class A playoffs, with sectional pairings announced Thursday.
EFA will receive a first-round bye, then host the winner of Tuesday's game between fourth-seeded Owego Free Academy and fifth-seeded Southside at 3:30 p.m. next Friday in a semifinal game. Southside plays at Owego at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Other local pairings:
* Class AA boys: No. 5 Horseheads plays at No. 4 Binghamton in a quarterfinal game at 5 p.m. Tuesday. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, No. 6 Corning plays at No. 3 Union-Endicott in another quarterfinal.
The Horseheads-Binghamton winner plays at top-seeded Vestal at 3:30 p.m. next Friday. The Corning/U-E winner plays second-seeded Ithaca at 7 p.m. next Friday at Tompkins Cortland Community College.
* Class B boys: Fifth-seeded Watkins Glen hosts 12th-seeded Whitney Point at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round game.
* Class C boys: No. 5 Notre Dame hosts No. 12 Union Springs in a first-round game at 6 p.m. Tuesday. No. 7 Odessa-Montour hosts No. 10 Bainbridge-Guilford at 6 p.m. Tuesday. No. 3 Spencer-Van Etten received a first-round bye and will host the Greene-Groton winner at 3:30 p.m. next Friday.
* Class AA girls: Fourth-seeded Corning hosts No. 5 Horseheads at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Corning Memorial Stadium. The winner plays at No. 1 Union-Endicott at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
* Class A girls: No. 4 Elmira Free Academy hosts No. 5 Johnson City in a quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. No. 2 Southside hosts No. 3 Owego Free Academy in a semifinal at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
* Class C girls: No. 3 Notre Dame hosts No. 14 Oxford in a first-round game at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. No. 11 Odessa-Montour plays at No. 6 Tioga at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the fourth meeting of the season between the teams.
