The Stillwater girls’ soccer team saw its hopes for back-to-back state championships end Sunday during a 3-0 loss to Wilson at Dryden High School.
The match remained scoreless for over 50 minutes as Stillwater’s defense held firm against the top-ranked Class C team, according to “reporting from Yahoo Sports.”
The momentum shifted in the 52nd minute when a shot by Wilson’s Lilly Gurski squirted past Stillwater goalkeeper Addison Thornton.
Less than a minute later, a long free kick from Wilson’s Zoey Beck took an unfortunate hop over Thornton’s arms to double the lead.
Wilson ultimately iced the contest when Beck headed in a corner kick from Gurski with less than five minutes remaining.
Stillwater coach Christine Ihnatolya emphasized the growth of her roster, which featured six freshmen and only three seniors, as noted by “the Times Union.”
Regarding the team’s development throughout the season, Ihnatolya remarked, “We’ve grown together every single step of the way, and we have so much to be proud of.”
Senior Brooke Hodgson, who scored the winning goal in last year’s championship, reflected on the difficult nature of the matchup against the physically imposing Wilson squad.
Despite the final score, Hodgson expressed pride in her teammates, stating, “Results really don’t show how much effort we put into that game.”
The loss marks the end of a three-year run for Stillwater, which appeared in the state final in each of those seasons.
Coach Ihnatolya remains optimistic that the experience will serve as a driving force for the program moving forward.
Looking toward the future, Hodgson expressed confidence in the returning players, noting, “they’ll be right back here next year.”
The defeat concludes a season where Stillwater finished with an overall record of 19-3, while Wilson completed its campaign undefeated at 21-0.