GIRLS SOCCER: Stoney Creek advances with shootout win over Rochester Adams
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BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
UTICA — With a calm swagger, Jamison Midgley walked up to the penalty spot. The Rochester Stoney Creek junior made sure that history did not repeat itself.
After the Cougars were eliminated by rival Rochester Adams the past three years in district play, Midgley erased the past by converting her penalty kick and giving Stoney Creek a 5-4 edge in a shootout and a 2-1 victory over the eighth-ranked Highlanders in a Division 1 district semifinal at Utica’s Swinehart Stadium.
Third-ranked Stoney Creek (15-2-1) advances to Saturday’s district final against fourth-ranked Utica Eisenhower with the hopes of winning the school’s first district since 2005.
“It was not as nerve wrecking as I thought it was going to be,” said Midgley said of her game-deciding kick. “For my club teams I’ve had to take them and we’ve been practicing them in case the moment would come. I was feeling confident going up. I know (Adams goalkeeper Olivia Argeros is) a very good goalie, but I was thinking I could slip it into the (corner) and it ended up working out.”
Midgley, who is now the career scoring leader at Stoney Creek with one season and change still to go, helped the Cougars dominate for most of the 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtimes periods. But it took all five of Stoney Creek’s shots in the shootout and one shootout save from Haley Michal to get the Cougars over the hump.
Adams upset Stoney Creek in the first round of districts last year and defeated the Cougars in the district finals in 2011 and 2012. The history was well known by Stoney Creek coach Bryan Mittelstadt and his troops.
“It was a great ending. Obviously this is always what it kind of comes down to over the last couple years. I’ve been coaching for four years (at Stoney Creek) and it always comes through Adams,” explained Mittelstadt. “The kids were just resilient, they fought through, they were really determined and the outcome is here we are.”
Stoney Creek came out and dominated the first half, holding an 11-1 shots advantage over the first 40 minutes. In fact, the Cougars held a 20-4 overall shots edge, including 12-3 with shots on frame over 100 minutes and didn’t allow Adams to even attempt a shot in overtime.
Still, the two teams were tied 1-1 at the half and at the end of regulation.
Midgley put Stoney Creek on the board first when she volleyed in a long serve from Maria Zandi with 27:02 left in the first half. Adams responded less than two minutes later when Shannon McDevitt’s 30-yard free kick sailed above traffic and into the upper 90 of the goal with 25:43 to play.
The two teams combined for six shot attempts in the second half and Stoney Creek held a 6-0 shots margin in overtime, including missing a point-blank range shot with two seconds left in OT that would have won the contest for the Cougars.
Michal only had two stops in the flow of the game, but she tipped the Highlanders’ first shot of the shootout off the crossbar and that proved to be pivotal.
“Easier said than done,” laughed Michel. “I was extremely nervous, but I was trying to not really show it. We worked on it in practice all week. We worked on it for a good half hour so I kind of had an idea of what I wanted to do. Always go with a side, stay confident and you’ll be fine.”
Adams was outplayed for long stretches of the game and even without star defender Tiffany Buckler out with a knee injury, was able to keep the Cougars at bay. Argeros, one of the state’s top sophomore goalkeepers who finished with 10 saves, was near-brilliant between the pipes, coming up with numerous big saves to keep Adams within striking distance.
“She’s phenomenal,” praised Adams coach Aaron Donaghy. “She is being looked at by every Big Ten team-plus. She is a stud. She made, I don’t know how many clutch saves?
Donaghy conceded that his team lost to a better team this time around.
“Stoney Creek has been building this for the last few years,” continued Donaghy. “We kept on nipping them. We were their big obstacle. Because I’m a Rochester person I got to hope they use this to catapult themselves forward, go (and beat Utica Eisenhower). But this is a team that deserves a really good run. I’m proud of what they’ve done. I’ve watched these girls for the last three years and stood in front of them and ended their season.”
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