Potsdam Booters Earn Chance for Jeffers Tourney Sweep

POTSDAM - The Potsdam Central varsity soccer teams earned a chance to sweep top honors at the John Jeffers Memorial Tournament after advancing to their respective championship games in contrasting fashion on Friday.

The boys tournament saw both first round games end in a shootout after none of the four teams was able to connect through 80 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime. The Sandstoners wound up outscoring Lisbon 3-2 in their ensuing shoot-out at the turf field and will now look to take on Madrid-Waddington in the title game this morning at 11 a.m.

Going up against Colton-Pierrepont at Swift Field in South Colton in a matchup that also served as the NAC East Division season opener, M-W advanced to the boys final with a 3-2 win in their shoot-out. Lisbon and C-P will square off in the boys consolation game on the natural grass varsity field at Potsdam Central at 11 a.m.

The Lady Sandstoners, meanwhile, raced out to a 4-0 halftime lead and never looked back in downing St. Lawrence Central 5-0 on the turf field. They will now take on Norwood-Norfolk this morning at 9 a.m. in the 2010 championship game slated to start at 9 a.m. N-N outlasted Colton-Pierrepont 1-0 in double-overtime in the opening game of the tournament. The girls consolation game is slated for the varsity field starting at 9 a.m. as well.

BOYS TOURNAMENT

Potsdam 0, Lisbon 0 (Potsdam wins shootout 3-2): The host Sandstoners outshot the Knights 12-5 through the 90 minutes of regulation and overtime then built a 3-0 lead in the shootout before advancing via the 3-2 decision in penalty kicks.

Peter McAdoo, Shawn Lillie and Sam Skufca converted on their PK's while Mike McDonnell and Dan Vallanced countered with the Lisbon tallies.

Sebastian Grimberg fielded the five shots he faced in backstopping the Potsdam shutout. Jimmy Robinson stopped the 12 sent his direction to earn the shutout for Lisbon.

M-W 0, C-P 0 (M-W wins shootout 3-2): "We played good defense but we were tight. Madrid-Waddington carried the play on us. We just got gassed at the end," said C-P Coach Jim Nee after the teams battled to a scoreless draw to open their league seasons with a tie.

Kody Sharlow, Matt Kendall and Josh Tiernan scored for M-W in the shootout. Dan Knight and Mark Avery connected for the C-P goals.

Tory Boyce handled the 10 shots he faced through regulation to earn the shutout working the crease for the Colts. Alex Brock posted four saves backstopping the Yellowjackets' shutout.

GIRLS TOURNAMENT

Potsdam 5, SLC 0: The Lady Sandstoners scored four goals in the first 22 minutes of regulation then added a solo goal midway through the second half in downing the Lady Larries.

"We've had some scrimmages but the girls were really looking forward to playing their first game. We did a lot of nice things out there today," said coach Joe Stark after the win.

Senior Monique Cornett scored the only goal Potsdam would need off an assist from junior Keeley Rice just 4:22 into the game. Junior Cassie Grace then helped put the game out of reach when she broke through for back-to-back breakaway goals in the 16th and 19th minutes, the first set up by Allie Fayette and the second unassisted. Junior Lia Davis made it 4-0 off an assist from senior Tess Hazen with 18:06 left in the half.

Hazen sealed the win 22 minutes into the second half assisted by Davis.

Senior netminder Beth Waters wasn't counted on to make a save working the Potsdam crease while junior Kayla Irwin fielded 11 shots in the losing cause.

N-N 1, C-P 0 (2OT): After playing through 80 minutes of scoreless regulation and another five minutes of overtime, the Lady Flyers produced the only goal of the game in the first minute of the second extra session. Paige Harvey lofted leftside corner kick toward the near post where teammate Kaitlin Levison and a C-P defender collided while trying to play the ball with their heads. The ball deflected toward the front of the goal where it triggered a scramble that ended with Maddie Stratton touching a pass over to Morgan Langtry who calmly lifted a shot into the top of the net at the 51-second mark.

Brynn Tebo made three saves tending the Lady Flyers' shutout. Alex Sochia stopped 12 shots for the Lady Colts.