Frewsburg ends Westfield/Brocton’s season
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FREWSBURG -- At this point in the Frewsburg girls soccer program's timeline, the regular season is all about preparing for the playoffs.
Judging by the Bears' performance Saturday, they are ready for the postseason.
Senior Audrey Eckwahl netted a hat trick and No. 3 Frewsburg directed 29 shots at the Westfield/Brocton goal en route to a 6-0 victory over the sixth-seeded Wolverines in a Section VI Class C quarterfinal at the Frewsburg Sports Complex.
"It was a good start. We wanted to dominate possession and get out of here with a win. It's on to the next," said Scott Stone, whose Bears will be playing in their ninth semifinal in his nine years as head coach. "I'm super proud of how we moved the ball and played good defense. It was just a solid win."
The Bears jumped on Westfield/Brocton early, earning a pair of corner kicks in the first 1:20 of the game. They broke through in the sixth minute when junior Jaden Jimerson dribbled along the touch line before directing a pass to senior Jadyn Trocki, who scored on a tap-in from inside the 6-yard box.
"Anytime Jaden gets the ball, we want her to drive and take people on one-on-one. She's one of the best players we've ever had at winning corners and driving that line down in our offensive end. She did a great job of that today," Stone said. "She just continues to make chances every time she touches the ball. When she gets the ball down on the end line like that, we feel like we have a good chance to score. She showed it again today; she played tough."
In the 25th minute, Eckwahl got her first goal of the game when she was tackled just outside the top of the 18-yard box. The senior stepped up to the ball and scored on a free kick to make it 2-0.
"They literally had 11 players in our offensive third. We knew if we were patient and kept the ball on the ground, the chances were going to come. We just needed to bury them when they came," Stone said. "Even though we only had two (goals), we felt like we were in complete control of the game."
The Wolverines hung around for nearly the remainder of the first half with just a two-goal deficit, but with 1:05 left, Eckwahl received a pass from sophomore Charlie Lombardo, took her space to the middle of the field and ripped a left-footed shot back across the grain just inside the goalpost for a 3-0 lead.
"We've been through games like this before and the girls know we can't get frustrated. We just need to continue to plug away and when the chances come we have to bury them," Stone said. "I did like getting that last one before half, but we were good with where we were at."
While the score was just 3-0, the game was played almost entirely in the Frewsburg offensive end of the field. Westfield/Brocton's best opportunity of the first half -- and the game -- came in the 23rd minute when sophomore Kylie Post almost got to a free ball inside the Bears' 18-yard box before it was pounced on by Frewsburg's freshman keeper Leah Pasieka.
Eckwahl completed her hat trick in the 55th minute after she was taken down inside the 18-yard box and awarded a penalty kick, which she neatly tucked inside the post.
Lombardo found a goal in the 59th minute when she took a pass from Eckwahl and powered home a left-footed kick off the Wolverines keeper's hands, then five minutes later Lombardo assisted on a goal from sophomore Grace Shelters.
"Charlie is playing great right now. We've moved her from outside mid to center mid to striker. She can play anywhere. She's really starting to get into a groove right now," Stone said. "When she's on, it really takes us to the next level. ... When she's playing well it definitely gives us a different dynamic."
Frewsburg's semifinal opponent will be No. 2 Holland, which defeated No. 7 Chautauqua Lake in another Saturday quarterfinal. There, the Bears will be looking to return to the sectional final for the eighth straight year. They lost last year's title game 1-0 to Wilson after winning six straight championships.
"We've been doing this for a long time. We are never overlooking anybody. I tell the girls every year, you can't win a final if you don't get to a final," Stone said. "We have a solid team on Tuesday that we are going to be playing against. Our focus is solely on them."