Local Sports

Jayhawks capture Region 3 crown, heading to NJCAAs

BATAVIA -- On a crisp, breezy Saturday afternoon, the Jamestown Community College women's soccer team found an inner fire in the second half of its Region 3 championship matchup against fifth-ranked Mohawk Valley CC, claiming the crown and a spot in the national tournament with a thrilling 2-1 victory.

"What these 16 players have accomplished is incredible," said Jayhawks' head coach Sarah Chimera. "They have worked hard, supported one another, put the team ahead of themselves and continued to find ways to get better all season. I'm just so proud of them. Winning a Region 3 championship is an amazing accomplishment, but seeing the team they've become and what they've accomplished together means even more."

The first half saw both teams generate a few offensive runs and create some prime opportunities to find the game's opening goal. However, both goalkeepers came up with big saves to send the title tilt into halftime knotted at 0-0. Jamestown CC's Angel Busch made multiple diving saves, delivering perhaps her best performance of the season when it mattered most.

"Angel came up big when we needed her to, and that's exactly what you need from your goalkeeper in a championship game," Chimera said. "She made some huge saves in moments when every play mattered, and she gave us the opportunity to keep fighting. I'm really proud of the way she stepped up for her teammates today and came through when we needed her most."

Early in the second half, Busch continued to turn away Mohawk Valley CC's attempts before the Hawks finally broke through in the 50th minute, putting Jamestown in a 1-0 deficit.

With the clock winding down to under 16 minutes and the scoreboard still showing 1-0, a pro-Jamestown CC crowd was inching to the edge of its seats. That's when Avery Johnson found possession inside the box, but before the freshman could get off an attempt, she was pulled to the ground, and Jamestown CC was awarded a penalty kick.

Up stepped Kaylyn Carnes to take the penalty kick. The sophomore approached the ball and blasted a shot toward the bottom-right corner. It slipped just past the Hawks' goalkeeper, sending the green-and-gold faithful into a frenzy as the Jayhawks evened the score at 1-1.

With less than 13 minutes remaining and the game still tied, Ally Notarianni drove hard toward the net, making one of the biggest plays of her Jayhawk career. Her attempt was redirected out of play by the Hawks’ goalkeeper, setting up a crucial corner kick for Jamestown CC.

Kennady Ellsworth stepped up to take the corner and sent the ball into the box, where Carnes was once again up to the task, sending home the game-winning goal to give the Jayhawks a 2-1 advantage. Carnes' two-goal performance easily earned her the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.

"I'm so happy for Kaylyn," Chimera said. "She has been such an important part of this team, and being named Most Outstanding Player is a well-deserved recognition of everything she brings to the field. Individual awards are special, but what makes this one even more meaningful is that she earned it as part of a team that has worked so hard for one another all season. I'm incredibly proud of her and so happy she gets to experience this."

The 2-1 advantage held through the final whistle, but the Jayhawks still had to withstand several more opportunities from the Hawks, who controlled possession for much of the final 10 minutes. Busch and her defensive unit, including Madilyn Seastrum, Sarah Kruszka, M’Kenzie Zavala, Kennady Ellsworth and the rest of the Jayhawks, stood tall to secure the championship and a place in the national tournament.

"When the clock showed all zeroes it was a huge sense of relief, and honestly, just an overwhelming sense of pride mixed with a little disbelief," Chimera said. "Those last 10 minutes were the longest 10 minutes of my life. We had so many players battling through injuries, and others who weren't able to play today because of injury. We have worked so hard for this, and to see it all come together was an incredible feeling. I was proud of the way the girls competed, but even more proud of the heart they showed and how much they believed in one another. It was one of those moments when you realize just how special this group is."

Joining Carnes on the all-tournament team were Busch, Kruszka and Johnson.

For Busch and a group of sophomores who saw last year's Jayhawks women's soccer season end before it began, Saturday's championship carried even more significance.

"This means so much for our sophomores," Chimera said. "For those who were part of the team last year, they chose to stay, they chose to give new coaches a chance, and they embraced their roles as teammates and leaders with a group of new players this season. I cannot say enough good things about the character of those girls. We also added several sophomores along the way, and as a group, they have worked incredibly hard and invested so much in this team. To see them rewarded with a Region 3 championship, and to see the emotion and tears of joy afterward, was really special. They deserve to enjoy this moment, and I'm so happy they get to experience it together."

Those sophomores and their fellow Jayhawks now turn their attention to the national championship tournament, a destination this group dreamed about reaching back in August.

"Honestly, I'm not sure I can fully put it into words yet. Back in August, during our goal-setting session, one of the players asked what I thought the chances were that we could go undefeated. I told the girls that we had a lot of good teams in our region, including Herkimer, Mohawk Valley and Genesee, and that I really didn't know," Chimera said. "The truth is, in my head, I would have been happy if we finished a game above .500."

The Jayhawks keep the dream season going when the national tournament gets underway back at Genesee CC on Thursday, Nov. 12, versus an opponent yet to be determined.