The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake girls soccer team met with heartache.
Allie Borrelli scored in the final minute of the fourth overtime period to lift Section V champion Greece Arcadia to a 3-2 victory over BH-BL in last Friday’s Class A state semifinals at SUNY Cortland.
The Spartans (14-5-4) took a 1-0 lead when Jillian Beatty hit a low shot that slipped off Greece Arcadia goaltender Jess Sexton’s gloves 6:35 into the first half. Sexton got the goal back herself four minutes later when she raced downfield to head a free kick past BH-BL goalie Emily McNutt and tie the game at 1.
Sexton came up big again a short time later as she made a diving stop on Maria Malone’s shot. The rest of the first half passed without either team scoring.
BH-BL struck for its second goal early in the second half. Beatty was in the right place at the right time again, this time pushing home Malone’s crossing pass to give the Lady Spartans a 2-1 lead.
Greece Arcadia needed five minutes to tie the game again. Kelly Shoniker broke free from a scramble in front of the BH-BL goal to put home a 14-yard shot to make the score 2-2.
The score remained tied through the final 24 minutes of regulation and the first 25 minutes of overtime periods. BH-BL had several scoring chances, including one in the final five-minute overtime period that required another diving stop by Sexton.
Sexton’s save proved to be the catalyst for Greece Arcadia’s final goal. The Titans quickly moved up the field, with Kristen Powers bringing the ball into the far corner. Powers then crossed it to Borelli, who poked it past McNutt for her first goal of the season and the game winner for Greece Arcadia.
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