Head coach Derek Houser led Southwestern to its first girls sectional title in program history. Photo by Shelly Phillips

Short of facing a canceled season, Southwestern girls soccer suffered some of the worst possible scenarios due to COVID-19 this year.

The adversity did nothing to stop the team from claiming a 12-4 record and a Section VI Class B-2 title, the first in school history after reaching three finals, most recently in 2003.

Before traveling to face Falconer/Cassadaga Valley on Oct. 15, head coach Derek Houser and starting goaltender Reece Beaver were forced into quarantine as a precaution.

The pair would not return for the Trojans for the next four games, which included contests against the Golden Cougars, Frewsburg, Olean and Fredonia.

“It was really difficult because those are four quality opponents,” Houser said. “We were both fine, we were both healthy, but were both off the team. From a timing standpoint it probably couldn’t have been a whole lot worse. It was a four-game stretch. All four teams ended up making the playoffs this year.”

During that four-game stretch, Houser would rely on the guidance of his captains and assistant coaches Dr. Ryan White, Nino Calimeri and Tommy Fales.

With Beaver sidelined, Morgan Troutman would take over between the pipes, totalling 32 saves in four games against some of the league’s best shooters.

“Those three really stepped up,” Houser said of his assistant coaches. “At that time I’m coaching from my couch essentially. I’m putting out our scouting reports and putting the lineups together and doing the things I would do (normally), but when the game starts I’m watching live streams and if we were on the road getting updates from parents. The message that I sent to the captains was we had to win two of those games, and if we could do that we were going to be fine out the other side. Morgan Troutman had to play in goal and she did an unbelievable job. That is a tough gig to have to come in and have to play four teams like that. It wasn’t like we were asking her to play some of the lesser teams. To go in and help us steal two wins really helped keep us afloat.”

During the four-game span, Southwestern would best Falconer/Cassadaga Valley 6-1, and drop consecutive games to Frewsburg and Olean before rebounding with a 2-0 win over Fredonia.

“That Olean game happened. After a 4-1 loss they had to play Fredonia the next day,” Houser said. “I was on the phone with everybody. I talked to captains. I reached out to everybody on the team and the way they stepped up in less than 24 hours — from that moment on I think that really changed things. I think we were a 26-6 goal differential the rest of the way. After those two games, once they got to the other side of that, they really turned it on.”

As impressive as the Trojans were without their head coach and starting goaltender for four games, the challenges were not over yet.

Prior to meeting the Golden Cougars on Oct. 31, with playoff seeding on the line, the team was hit hard by the pandemic again, losing leading scorer Brynne Conley and midfielder Cora Casselman to quarantine.

“We got another little dose of it right before the end of the season. Two of our top forwards went into quarantine,” Houser said.

Despite another huge blow to its roster, Southwestern would claim a 3-2 win over Falconer/Cassadaga Valley in overtime, thanks to key contributions from Lexi Lundmark and a late game-winning goal by Sophia Segrue.

“Lexi Lundmark, who had one goal all year, scores two goals that game. It was really just a good example of people stepping up when we needed them most,” Houser said. “It’s 2-2 and we’d had a difficult time generating offense. There are six minutes left in overtime and at that point we knew we needed to win out to be the No. 1 seed and have home-field advantage. You are worried it’s going to slip away. All of the struggles we’d had, a minute later Sophia Segrue scored the game-winning goal. That was the moment for me when I really felt this team is for real and they’re just not going to be denied.”

Without Casselman and Conley once again, the Trojans were 3-0 winners over Fredonia as Segrue picked up a hat trick to complete the regular season.

Entering sectional semifinal play, Allison Lundmark would score late to lift the Trojans to a 2-1 win over the Golden Cougars once again on Nov. 11, setting up a date with No. 2 Wilson.

With all of its pieces back in place and a sectional title on the line, Lundmark and Conley would find the back of the net in that game while Casselman and Melissa DeVore would earn assists to give Southwestern its first-ever title with a 2-0 victory.

A fitting end to a unusual year for the Trojans and Houser, this year’s Post-Journal Coach of the Year.

“It was hard for me because I just love being on the sideline so much,” Houser said of his time away. “I am beyond blessed with the help that I have. Ryan White is an amazing positive force. Nino Calimeri has been here for eight years with me now. Tommy Fales, this is his second year as our modified coach and he’s a real nice up-and-coming coach. Captains were amazing. I spent a lot of time FaceTiming with them, just trying to keep things going and getting a feel for what was going well and what wasn’t.”