Wilson goal scorer Zoe Beck celebrates with teammates Addison Elia, Keira Croisdale (20) and Colbie Elia (hidden) during Saturday’s Section VI Class C final against Frewsburg at Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

ALLEGANY — Entering Saturday, Scott Stone had lost just one Section VI playoff game in his eight seasons as Frewsburg’s head coach.

This year’s seniors were in fifth grade when the Bears lost a Class C semifinal to Portville on Oct. 23, 2018.

More than seven years later, it was hardly a surprise that Wilson was the team to end Frewsburg’s string of six straight sectional crowns.

The top-seeded Lakewomen — whose past four seasons ended at the hands of the Bears — scored off a corner kick in the 65th minute and beat the second-seeded Bears 1-0 in the Section VI Class C final Saturday at Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School.

“We’ve played them five years in a row. We know exactly who they are. There was nothing that caught us by surprise, it was just a race to get that first goal,” Stone said postgame. “We felt that if we got the first goal … we were going to try to coast to a victory. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Wilson goalkeeper Brooke Urban and defender Abbie Faery deny a late Rozlyn Haglund chance during Saturday’s Section VI Class C final at Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Next up for Wilson, which claimed its fourth sectional crown — including one two years ago is shared with Frewsburg after a penalty-kick shootout loss — is a New York State Public High School Athletic Association Far West Regional against Section V’s champion at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday at Geneseo High School.

“It’s a huge step. When I came into the girls program three years ago, I knew this was the hump that we had to get over. Frewsburg’s program is the standard,” Wilson head coach Jeff Hart said. ” … It’s almost surreal at this point. We knew it was going to have to go through Frewsburg at some point, but we wanted to make sure it was in the finals as the No. 1 seed.”

The Rochester area will decide its representative Tuesday when Class C1 champion Holley will take on Class C2 champion Byron-Bergen.

“In the state rankings, three Section V teams were in the top five. I kept telling the girls, ‘only one of them can come out,'” Hart said. “It’s going to be tough, but … I feel like we can hang with anybody with the talent that we have.”

The Lakewomen controlled the first half on a cool, autumn day in Cattaraugus County on Saturday, but were unable to come away with a goal.

Frewsburg’s Audrey Eckwahl is surrounded by Wilson’s Colbie Elia (23) and Lilly Gurski (14) while the Bears’ Charlie Lombardo (1) and Lyla Salvaggio (15) arrive for support during Saturday’s Section VI Class C final at Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Frewsburg sophomore goalkeeper Elysse Gruber had at least five saves during the opening 40 minutes, and Wilson sophomore Addison Elia was held off the scoresheet by the Bears defense, mainly freshman midfielder Presleigh Stelmack, who was tasked with the unenviable job of slowing the 38-goal scorer.

“What more can I say about Presleigh. We gave her a job, I set up a game plan and she followed it to a T. She was stuck in her hip all game long,” Stone said. ” … Addison Elia is one of the best players that’s ever been around this area. She’s lightning fast and we held her in check today. We wanted to make somebody else beat us. Unfortunately, somebody else did.”

Frewsburg junior Audrey Eckwahl, with 35 goals on the season, was also held off the scoresheet by a team defensive effort by the Lakewomen, who took away time and space at every opportunity.

“I knew it was going to be tight. … Once sectionals start, it’s hard to score. … This is a typical sectional game,” Hart said. “You can get a sloppy corner kick goal and then after that it’s just trying to play the full 80 minutes in order to see it out.”

The Bears finally got their first legitimate shot toward Wilson junior goalkeeper Brooke Urban in the 57th minute, but sophomore Ellie Cappa’s long drive went high and wide of the Lakewomen’s goal.

Frewsburg’s Charlie Lombardo (1) sends the ball away from Wilson’s Grace Smith during Saturday’s Section VI Class C final at Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“It was a dogfight. That’s what we wanted to turn it into and that’s exactly what happened,” Stone said. “They are a good team, they’ve been playing well all year and we knew we would have to come up here and play our absolutely best game of the year to walk away with a win. … I couldn’t be more proud of our girls.”

Just past the midway point of the second half, Wilson finally broke through. Sophomore Lilly Gurski sent a corner kick to the far post past Gruber’s right side and somehow freshman Zoe Beck was able to get a foot on it and sneak it inside the near-post for her 11th goal of the season.

“We play on a lot of turf, but not this wide. Normally she gets it to the far post and that’s where Zoe stands,” Hart said of Gurski’s corner. “It went right to her, almost like we drew it up in practice.”

The Lakewomen immediately sent Elia back to a defensive position, which is actually her natural position for the WNY Flash club team.

“She came back and played almost like a stopper,” Hart said of Elia. ” … That’s kind of our plan in tight games when we just want to hold a lead. She can do pretty much anything we need.”

Frewsburg looked like it might have earned the opportunity it needed in the 75th minute when a handball just outside the top of the 18-yard box gave the Bears a free kick. But during the stoppage, the referee noticed blood on Eckwahl’s knee and forced her to leave the game for attention from the athletic trainer.

“It was unfortunate that they wouldn’t let Audrey take the free kick with the blood on her knee, but it is what it is,” Stone said. “Today they were the better team. You have to give them credit where it’s due.”

Then, in the final 30 seconds with nearly all of their players pushed into the offensive end of the field, the Bears were able to create a chaotic scramble inside the Lakewomen’s 18-yard box. At least two shots were blocked before reaching Urban and then time expired after a handball just outside the box.

“The whole game switched. They put everybody back and we obviously pushed everybody forward,” Stone said. “We did get a couple of chances there late.”

Now the Bears will have to wait a year for another shot at the ninth sectional title in program history, but they will return 14 of the 19 players on their roster in a stacked Class C that will still include young Wilson and Randolph squads.

“There’s more parity in Class C than there’s ever been,” Stone said. “There are a lot of good young teams. We’re going to be up for the challenge, we’re not going to shy away from it. We still feel like we are going to be one of the top teams.

“We’re going to remember this feeling from today,” he added. “We haven’t felt it in a long time, but we’re going to get back to work and make sure we’re going to come back here and play for another blue patch as soon as we can.”