By Rob Potter
MONTICELLO — November 7, 2000 – For the second straight year, the Roscoe girls’ soccer team claimed the Section IX — Class D title with a one-goal victory.
Roscoe defended its sectional title with a 3-2 victory over Sullivan West/Jeffersonville-Youngsville Friday afternoon in Monticello.
And just like twelve months ago, the Lady Blue Devils will face Section 11 champion Smithtown Christian Academy in the first round of the state tournament. Roscoe will be looking to avenge last season’s 1-0 shootout loss to Smithtown.
Roscoe (13–6–1) and Smithtown will square off Saturday in Middletown.
Danielle Austin led the Lady Blue Devil offense versus SW/J-Y (10–8–1). The senior striker notched her second straight sectional game hat trick, scoring each Roscoe goal just as she did in the Lady Blue Devil semifinal win over Sullivan West/
Delaware Valley two days before.
Austin got Roscoe on the board 12:36 into the match, scoring off a pass from Kelly Ahart. The low shot eluded goalie Erin Bose and rolled over the goal line just before SW/J-Y sweeper Kristen Erlwein could kick it away.
But nearly four minutes later, SW/J-Y striker Aileen Semenetz knotted the score at 1-1. Semenetz fired a shot past Roscoe goalie Chrissy Rosencranse that hugged the inside of the goal cage netting
After a pair of goals by Austin — the first less than five minutes into the second half off an assist by Amanda Huck and the other off a direct kick 13:42 into the half — by Austin gave Roscoe a 3-1 lead, SW/J-Y came back again. Semenetz scored her second goal of the day on a high shot into the far corner of the net with just under 11 minutes left in the contest.
With under a minute left, SW/J-Y had one last chance to tie the game and force overtime. Semenetz gained control of the ball and moved towards the Roscoe goal with 30 seconds on the clock. She sent a shot at Rosencranse from just outside the goal box.
But Rosencranse dove down and cradled the ball to preserve the Roscoe win.
“That was a pretty close,” Roscoe coach Mary Austin said. “Jeff is a good team and they didn’t quit, they were still hustling to the last buzzer.”
As for her own squad, Austin said the Lady Blue Devils “didn’t come out ready to play in the first half.”
“In the second half, we came out ready to play,” she commented. “The team that has been winning games this season is the team that played in the second half.”
Roscoe managed 21 shots in the game, while SW/J-Y had 15. Bose was credited with nine saves, while Rosencranse recorded 11 saves.
“We played well,” SW/J-Y coach Mike Ellmauer said. “Roscoe has a good quality team and Mary (Austin) is a great coach.”
Ellmauer credited Danielle Austin for her play, saying that, to his players’ credit, those goals “didn’t come easy for her.”
“I’m very proud of our team,” he continued. “We asked them to play hard and they did. A 3-2 game is not a bad game, it’s not like Roscoe ran away with it.”
Although Bose, Semenetz and other key starters will return next season, the loss marked the last soccer game for a host of SW/J-Y seniors. They include: Amanda Davis, Erlwein, Jackie Manzolillo, Linnea O’Mara, Meredith Morgan, Molly Raum, Amber Sayers, Sandra Scholz and Samantha Triolo.