SECTION IV GIRLS SOCCER: TIOGA RALLY FALLS SHORT IN 2-1 LOSS TO UNADILLA VALLEY IN CLASS C OPENER (24 PHOTOS) (2024-10-22)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Seventh-seeded Tioga picked up its play in the second half, but couldn’t quite erase a two-goal deficit in a 2-1 loss to 10th-seeded Unadilla Valley here Tuesday afternoon in the opening round of the Section IV, Class C playoffs at Haggerty Field.

The Storm controlled the action in the first 40 minutes, and scored less than two minutes into the contest, and again midway through the half to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

The second 40 minutes was a much different story.

“The girls weren’t having fun in the first half, that’s flat-out what they said to me at halftime,” said Tioga coach Emily Potter. “So, we played a quick game at halftime, they all started to smile and laugh.

“That’s one thing I did learn about this team, if they’re stressed and under pressure too much, they’re not going to perform,” she noted. “If they’re smiling and giggling, then they’ll show their true colors.

“They came out ready to play in the second half,” added Potter. “Unfortunately, we dug ourselves too deep of a hole.”

Senior Erica Bradley said the halftime shenanigans helped set the Tigers straight.

“We joked around at half time, and it really lightened our sprits,” she said. “We got a little down in the first half, and may have put too much pressure on ourselves with it being the first game of Sectionals.”

The Tigers had some good scoring chances in the first half with Bradley taking a pair of shots from very long range that the Unadilla Valley keeper tipping one over the crossbar, and the other harmlessly caroming off the crossbar.

“We had our opportunities, but just couldn’t find the net,” said Potter.

Tioga dominated play at the outset of the second half, culminating when Lila LaBoor sent a through-ball over the Unadilla Valley defense. Eighth-grader Grace Howey chased it down, dribbled in close, and drive a shot inside the far post to close the gap to 2-1 with 28:28 remaining in the contest.

Unadilla Valley re-grouped, and the next 10 minutes was played in the midfield.

Senior keeper Taliah Speer recorded 15 saves for the Tigers, despite playing with a broken finger.

“She broke her finger last night at practice, and I didn’t find out about until just before the game,” said Potter.

“I give her a lot of credit. She didn’t play like she had a broken finger, but it is 100-precent broken,” she added.

The last 18 minutes, however, was played almost exclusively in the Tioga defensive end, aside from an occasional Tiger run into the UV end.

Bradley, a five-year starter, has experienced the growth in the Tioga program, which at the outset of her career was in the midst of a long losing streak.

“I think we lost 22 games in a row at one point, but we’ve been able to build on on each win, and build confidence with each win.

“We’ve grown every year,” she noted.

“We go hard at practice all the time,” added Bradley. “It’s like game-face on all the time.”

Potter said the loss of Bradley, goalkeeper Talia Speer, and LaBoor to graduation will hurt.

“Talia is going to be a huge loss,” she said. “It’s going to stink to lose a keeper like her.

“Erica is strong in the middle — a presence on the field, and losing her is also going to hurt.

“Lila is one heck of a hustler,” added Potter. “We’re definitely going to miss the hustle coming from that girl, who was always giving 110 percent, no matter what.”

The Tigers wrap up the season at 9-6-1, but were 8-1-1 prior to losing junior Sophia Haney, the program’s all-time leading scorer, to a season-ending knee injury.

“The girls definitely stepped up in Sophia’s absence,” said Potter. “We were competitive in every game.

“It took a little bit to find who was going to fill her spot, there was some trial-and-error to figure out who fit their best.

“I call Sophia, the ‘nucleus’ of our team,” noted Potter. “If we have a girl talk negative, Sophia was there to counteract that. She’s always positive.

“It also helped that she’s been vocal on the sidelines, the girls look up to her,” Potter added.

Potter and Bradley believe the future is bright for the Tioga program.

“I think getting this far really helps the younger girls and leads them in to next year,” said Bradley. “I think this kind of pressure is going to help them.”

“I would agree the future is bright, but it’s going to take a lot of work, strength, and determination,” said Potter.

“A few of the girls from modified came up for the postseason and got a taste of what varsity is like,” she noted. “It’s a big step from modified to varsity, and they’re going to have to want to put in the work.

“The future does look bright for us,” added Potter.

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga’s Grace Howey. IN TOP PHOTO: Tioga’s Erica Bradley. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.

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