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Down To The Wire

Lynn Scores Two Late As Falconer/Cassadaga Valley Breaks Slump

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Abigail Sweeney (7) and teammates congratulate Kayla Lynn after scoring a goal during Monday’s CCAA West Division girls soccer game against Southwestern at Bill Race Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

FALCONER — Sophomore Emma Powell was drenched with a bucket of water after Falconer/Cassadaga Valley beat Southwestern 2-1 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association West Division girls soccer Monday evening at Bill Race Field.

Half of the bucket was supposed to be dumped on head coach Brett Johnson.

You’ll have to forgive the Golden Cougars, it’s been a while since they’ve beaten the Trojans.

Junior Kayla Lynn scored a pair of second-half goals and Falconer/Cassadaga Valley hung on late for its first victory over its crosstown rival in at least five years.

“It was really back and forth. We’re shorthanded because of COVID reasons and injuries,” Johnson said postgame. “Both teams fought hard. Luckily we were able to get a couple of breaks there at the end and put a couple in the net.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Kayla Lynn, right, sends a header into the goal past Southwestern keeper Brynne Conley during Monday’s CCAA West Division girls soccer game at Bill Race Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Senior Tess Spangenburg played a big role in both of Lynn’s goals.

On the first tally, junior Katelyn Hagstrom nearly got loose for a breakaway before her shot was deflected out of bounds by a Southwestern defender. Spangenburg took the ensuing corner kick and sent a perfect ball over Brynne Conley, the Trojans’ leaping goalkeeper, that found the head of Lynn, who directed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead with 9:12 remaining in the game.

“I want her to take them and she wants to take them. She’s pretty good at putting them where the need to be,” Johnson said of Spangenburg’s corner kicks, adding about Lynn, “A lot of the girls … don’t like to put a head on the ball. Kayla is the one who consistently wants to get in there, knock people around and get her head on the ball.”

“It’s a quality kick, it’s a quality finish. It’s the danger of playing 0-0 late into a game,” Southwestern head coach Derek Houser said. “One of those and they absolutely took advantage of it. It was well executed.”

Almost immediately after the ensuing kickoff, the Golden Cougars regained possession and Spangenburg sent a ball over the top of the Southwestern defense. Lynn ran under the ball, controlled it, and broke in alone on Conley. At just the right moment, Lynn drove a low shot to the corner of the goal that Conley could not reach, giving Falconer/Cassadaga Valley a 2-0 lead 21 seconds after its first goal.

Southwestern’s Sophia Segrue (11) shields Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Mary Lundmark (4) from the ball during Monday’s CCAA West Division girls soccer game at Bill Race Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“The air let out. You’ve played well, you’ve controlled a lot of the match, you don’t have the result and then you’re down,” Houser said. “Sometimes that guard can go down and I think that’s what happened. They got fired up by their goal and were able to go back the other way.”

“We were trying to play long the whole game. We know we have speed up top,” Johnson said. “We got one at the perfect time. She got through for a second one and put it where it needed to go.”

The shorthanded Trojans, down three players including two starters, did not go quietly.

Sophomore Sophia Segrue sent a through ball down the right wing for senior Ellie Lawton, who possessed the pass before dribbling toward Golden Cougars keeper Grace Lundmark. Lawton’s right-footed shot just beat a diving Lundmark to the far post to make it 2-1 with 3:53 remaining.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to work on, moving the ball into that seam on these defenses,” Houser said. ” … That was a beautiful last shot. Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.”

The Trojans then tried to push forward for a tying goal, but couldn’t get a long free kick off in the final seconds.

A tightly contested first half saw each team put five shots on goal with Conley and Lundmark each making five saves. For the game, Lundmark made nine saves and Conley made eight.

Southwestern, playing without starting goalkeeper Reece Beaver and two others, fell to 1-5-1 overall and 1-4-1 in the league.

“I think it always limits your ability to move people and be as fresh as possible,” Houser said of being shorthanded. “In a game coming down to the wire like that, to be down a few people and only really have three subs … it’s hard.”

Falconer, missing Brailyn Paladino and others, improved to 3-4-1 overall and 2-3-1 in the league.

“Some girls stepped up off the bench and we were just fine,” Johnson said.

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