“We set a goal at the start of this year to get there. The girls said they wanted a patch, and tonight, we accomplished that,” said Westfield/Brocton coach Neil Huber. “Now it’s a matter of what color it’s going to be.”

Westfield/Brocton (15-2, 3-seed) didn’t waste any time before putting pressure on the Portville (12-4-2, 2-seed) defense, as Sheala Barresi put an early shot on goal after a throw-in by Juli Smith. Portville came up with the save, then stopped Barresi again in the 17th minute of the game, but it felt like it was just a matter of time before the Lady Wolverines got one through. The Lady Wolverines did not appear fazed at all by the stage, playing as loose as at any time all season long.

“It’s a great group of girls here. It’s really emotional, it’s awesome,” said Huber. “I’m just really proud of these girls. I love this team, they’re a lot of fun,” he added.

Smith found Barresi again near the end of the first half, off a free kick from her own zone, that Barresi was able to bury in the back of the net after an aggressive play from the Portville goalkeeper. With 4:03 left in the first half, Westfield/Brocton held the lead for the first time. From then on, the Lady Wolverines stayed every bit as aggressive, with the pressure finally off the offense. Smith followed up with another free kick less than a minute later and drilled the crossbar, just missing a chance to extend the lead.

Westfield/Brocton’s Sheala Barresi (left) and Juli Smith (right) celebrate after Barresi’s goal, assisted by Smith, in Monday’s girls soccer game in Eden. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“It took a lot of pressure off. We were able to direct and control the pace of the game, to control the game itself,” said Huber. “Having that one goal lead is powerful for us.”

Westfield/Brocton had another solid chance in the 55th minute, as Katie Bodenmiller dropped off a fancy back heel pass to set up Smith for a shot in the box that went just wide of the net. Over the final 25 minutes, the game got much more intense physically, but Westfield/Brocton kept its composure. Westfield/Brocton goalkeeper Angel Busch made one of many aggressive plays on an free ball in the box and ended up getting hit by a Portville forward, who received a yellow card. Then, Lady Wolverines senior co-captain Laura Johnston was called for a foul after making a play on a ball in the air just outside of the box. The call resulted in a free kick with 15:22 left in the contest, but the kick went high and wide of the net. Barresi and Bodenmiller each had chances to put the game away with less than 10 minutes left in the game, but Portville made the save each time.

“Everything was ramped up. The tensions were tightened, but we were able to weather that storm,” said Huber.

After Portville’s last-chance effort resulted in a corner kick that was headed out, Westfield/Brocton punctuated the game with an indirect kick goal by Bodenmiller with 19.1 seconds left in the game. Busch completed her 12th shutout of the season for the victory, with 15 saves.

Now, the Lady Wolverines will fight for a blue championship patch on Saturday, against a familiar opponent, Frewsburg. The 5-seed Frewsburg Lady Bears defeated Maple Grove on a goal in the second overtime by Jacey Cappa to advance to the final. Both Frewsburg and Maple Grove finished behind the Lady Wolverines in CCAA Central.

Westfield/Brocton's Juli Smith kicks a corner kick during Monday's game. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“Our division, any team can beat any other team, and it showed. Our two losses were both in division,” said Huber.

Westfield/Brocton beat Frewsburg by a score of 1-0 in each of the matchups earlier this season. Now, Saturday’s third go-round is for the Sectional title.

Twitter: @bradencarmen

Westfield/Brocton’s Sheala Barresi possesses the ball in the midfield during Monday’s game in Eden. The Westfield/Brocton Lady Wolverines defeated Portville, 2-0. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Westfield/Brocton’s Juli Smith (back) battles with a Portville defender during Monday’s game in Eden. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Westfield/Brocton goalkeeper Angel Busch celebrates after Monday’s win over Portville. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

The Westfield/Brocton Lady Wolverines celebrate after Monday's win. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.