Johnstown drops Foothills contest to Lady Indians
By BILL CAIN, The Leader-Herald
POSTED: May 17, 2008
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Glens Falls beat the Lady Bills 16-5, scoring six goals in as many minutes after Johnstown rallied to cut the lead to four goals.
The Johnstown defense was giving the Glens Falls defense fits in the first half by knocking down passes and disrupting the attack to climb back into the game.
“That was some of the best [defense] yet,” Johnstown coach Denise Benton said. “They read where the ball was going. I was pleased with the way the defense came together.”
Glens Falls got out to a 6-0 lead with six different girls scoring goals. With 5:36 left in the first half, Johnstown got on the board with an unassisted goal by Kelsey Palcovic. With 1:56 left in the half, Jami Murray added a goal on a rebound of her own shot.
Murray shot from the right side, scooped up the rebound and ran around the back of the goal. When she came around the left side, she was firing, and scored.
The Lady Bills scored two of the final four goals of the first half and opened the second half with two unanswered scores. Kara Gagliardo got the ball rolling with a goal on an assist from Amy Sedal. Gagliardo bounced the shot in front of goalie Sarah Mason and the ball bounced straight up over Mason’s shoulder and behind her, into the net.
With 21:44 left in the game, Adele Friello scored to bring Johnstown within four goals. Friello was in back of the goal and was watching teammates from both sides of the offense cutting to the same spot in front of the net at the same time, creating too much congestion for a clean pass. She took it herself, driving around the left side of the net and whipping the ball past Mason.
That was the last of the Johnstown rally, however, as the Lady Indians rattled off the next seven goals.
Johnstown’s Murray added another unassisted goal with 7:10 to play. Michelle Raspanti made nine saves in the first half and Kelsey Schrum made two in the second half.
Mason made 11 saves for Glens Falls. Genese Romeo scored four goals and had three assists, Lauren Winchell had four goals and one assist, Emily White had three goals, Tess Hooker and Cara Greenslade both had two goals, Chelsea Capezutti had one goal, and both Melyssa Woods and Shauna Murray assisted on a goal.
Glens Falls coach Michele Venditto said at halftime she talked to her players about making smarter passes in an attempt to keep Johnstown defenders from knocking them down.
“We were throwing a lot of low-level passes,” Venditto said. “We just weren’t paying any attention to where the defense was set up.”
Venditto said she was pleased with her team’s defense, especially in the second half, after they adjusted to limit Johnstown’s passing opportunities inside.
“I told them our defenders can’t set up behind their girls,” she said. “You have to be in front of them to take away that passing option.”
The game was the last of the regular season for both teams. The coaches will receive information on their sectional seed today.
Benton said the Lady Bills (3-15 overall, 1-9 Foothills Council) probably won’t see Glens Falls (11-5 overall) in the first round of the playoffs, but could at some point down the road.
Benton said regardless of who they play, if she gets the same effort from her players as she did Friday, they can compete.
“We may see them again in sectionals,” she said. “I think any team is beatable. Who knows what we can do if the girls play with that kind of tenacity.”
