New mascot, another sectional championship for the Watkins Glen girls soccer team.
The second-seeded Lake Hawks topped Trumansburg for the second straight year in the Section 4 Class C championship game, 1-0, on Friday at Chenango Valley High School.
This is the first sectional title for Watkins Glen as Lake Hawks after adopting the nickname over the summer to replace Senecas.
Top-seeded Trumansburg finished with a 14-2 record. The Blue Raiders lost last year’s sectional final to Watkins Glen by a 3-0 score.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the girls,” Watkins Glen coach Scott Morse said. “It’s so hard to win a sectional title, but to win in back-to-back seasons is really special.
“They set this as a team goal early in the year and to watch them work so hard for it all season, and reach that goal, was really great.”
Watkins Glen’s Skye Honrath (40) controls the ball in a 1-0 win over Trumansburg in the Section 4 Class C girls soccer final Oct. 27, 2023 at Chenango Valley.
How Watkins Glen won
Ava Kelly scored the lone goal with 29 minutes remaining in the first half.
“Ava Kelly made a phenomenal move to get to the net and score that first-half goal,” Morse said.
Defense backed by goalkeeper Lilly Ameigh kept the Blue Raiders’ high-powered attack from scoring. She finished with five saves.
“Our defense and goalkeeper played terrific,” Morse said.
More: Boys soccer: Corning captures 4th consecutive Section 4 title with win over Elmira
More: Girls soccer: Elmira shares AAA title with Corning, keeps season going with shootout win
Other keys to the title
Watkins Glen’s Ava Kelly, right, runs up the field during the Lake Hawks’ 1-0 win over Trumansburg in the Section 4 Class C girls soccer final Oct. 27, 2023 at Chenango Valley.
Trumansburg threw double teams and physical defense at Watkins Glen star Skye Honrath, who still kept pressure on the Blue Raiders.
Morse praised the play of Briana Hatch in the midfield and the effort of Olivia VanSkiver. He said Brenna Pierce “was all over the field and made a huge impact on the game.”
Up Next
Watkins Glen repeated as Section 4 Class C girls soccer champion with a 1-0 win over Trumansburg on Oct. 27, 2023 at Chenango Valley.
Watkins Glen (18-1) will face the Section 3 champion in a state quarterfinal next weekend. Details on the game will be announced.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Watkins Glen beat Trumansburg for Section 4 Class C girls soccer title
