Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove's Julianna Roth protects the ball from Livonia's Reghan Maxwell during the Class B Far West Regional at Geneseo High School on Saturday. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

LIVONIA — After being outpossessed in the first half of the Class B Far West Regional girls soccer game, Section VI champion Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove looked like a completely different team in the final 40 minutes of regulation. However, like Livonia, the Golden Cougars were unable to get on the scoreboard and a trip to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association final four was to be decided in overtime on Saturday evening at Geneseo High School.

Despite being outplayed the final 40 minutes of regulation, Section V champion Livonia began overtime with possession and after 83 minutes of waiting, its superstar twin freshmen Blair and Reghan Maxwell delivered the dagger to another team. Finishing off an exemplary display of quick passes by Livonia, Reghan’s final one-touch pass to Blair in the box set up for a quick strike into the net that sunk Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove 1-0.

“We talked about it at halftime how we needed to bring more energy and sense of urgency for the second half,” Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove head coach Brett Johnson said about his team’s effort. “They did just that, we battled for all 83 minutes. We’re really proud of them tonight, they put up a heck of a fight.”

It took the state’s No. 3 ranked team longer than 80 minutes to finally generate a quality opportunity in the box and that was all thanks to the stellar defense of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove.

“The defense has been amazing all year,” Johnson stated. “Kept us in a lot of games, kept the other teams off the scoresheet. A lot of credit to them, they had a tough task tonight and Livonia sent a lot of girls in to a lot of different places and mixed it up. They did a good job communicating and making sure everyone was accounted for.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove defender Khloe Livengood marks Livonia's Reghan Maxwell during the Class B Far West Regional at Geneseo High School on Saturday. OBSERVER photo by Christian Storms

Most of the first half was dictated by Livonia with its midfielders Olivia Feehan and Sunny Quinn winning several battles forward to the Maxwell twins, but the Golden Cougars closed gaps quickly and only allowed for shots from distance or under pressure.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove goalkeeper Ellyson Baglia turned aside several easy saves in the first half while her team was playing great defense ahead of her. It wasn’t until late in the second half when Livonia was living off the counterattack that Baglia needed to step up for her team.

In the 58th minute, Blair was set up on a rush by Reghan and instead of dribbling closer to goal she ripped a strike that was labeled below the crossbar, but Baglia was able to punch away the shot to keep the game scoreless. Then on the following corner, Baglia saw a play to the near post before it happened and she leaped to cut off the threat.

“It starts with her,” Johnson said about his goalkeeper. “She played probably her best game of the year tonight, she was amazing. She made the saves when she needed to. A lot of our success is credited to her and keeping the other team out of the goal.”

The first half saw Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove rely on its skill in the counterattack and while that is not the team’s preferred style of play, forwards Mary Lundmark and Kylie Kress prove a formidable threat.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove's Sydnee Snow moves the ball away from Livonia's Natalie Gause during the Class B Far West Regional at Geneseo High School on Saturday. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s best chance in the first half came in the 19th minute when Julianna Roth fired a perfect through ball down the right wing that sent Lundmark off to the races, triggering the Livonia goaltender to act. Lundmark won the race, but the sliding keeper made the save off the quick shot while the rest of the Livonia defense fell back in line to prevent another shot toward the vacant net.

“When we’ve got some of the speed and finishing ability up there you can never count us out,” Johnson said about Lundmark and Kress. “A couple really good chances tonight, we just didn’t finish. We got our looks, just couldn’t put them away.”

Even with Livonia dictating the first 40 minutes of the game, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove found itself in a great spot at halftime and then the girls flipped a switch.

“We just kind of highlighted the fact that they were playing their brand of soccer, but we weren’t playing ours,” Johnson said about his halftime adjustments. “We said that we needed to come out and just match the energy and play with intensity. We did an amazing job, they bounced back, they fought, I couldn’t be prouder.”

The Golden Cougars looked more confident after the break and suddenly their midfield was winning all the battles and balls were being played into favorable spots for Lundmark and Kress.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove's Madilyn Seastrum loads up for a free kick during the second half of the Class B Far West Regional against Livonia at Geneseo High School on Saturday. OBSERVER photo by Christian Storms

“Those three in the middle work together really well,” Johnson said about his midfielders. “A lot of chemistry, they know where each other is going to be. They play their roles pretty well, so a lot of credit to them in the success we’ve had this year.”

The flurry of chances started early with Kress forcing a turnover in the box in the 44th minute and quickly firing a shot that hit the outside of the net. Roth also began taking advantage of some space given to her in the first 15 minutes of the period and tested the goalkeeper from long range.

In the 56th minute, Giada Schauman lobbed a pass from midfield into the box and the Livonia center back miscalculated the trajectory allowing for Kress to swoop in, but a diving keeper thwarted the attempt. Then another 15 minutes later, Kress found herself setting up Roth in the box, but again a necessary save was made to keep the game scoreless.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s final chance came in the final minute when Kress had the ball on her foot in the box again and was once again just off her mark as the shot rolled wide. It would be the final opportunity for the Golden Cougars and the last hope for a squad deep with seniors.

“We had eight seniors, it’s going to be tough to see them go,” Johnson said about losing some of his veteran leaders. “A lot of veteran leadership in those wins and a lot of experience put together in all those. We’re happy with everything they have done for our program, all the leadership and teaching the younger ones.”

Livonia did not give Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove a chance in the overtime period before it ended the game in the 83rd minute. The golden goal puts Section V back in the state final four and Livonia will seek its first title since 2006.