The sectional semifinal between Williamsville Bullets and Rochester Rockets lived up to the hype Tuesday night as the two familiar opponents battled through 100 scoreless minutes before penalty kicks decided the winner.
The teams met earlier this season with Rochester earning a narrow 1-0 victory at home, and once again it was a tightly contested match from start to finish. On a hot afternoon in Rochester, both squads had to battle the conditions while searching for a breakthrough.
The opening half featured strong defensive play and back-and-forth action as both teams looked to settle in. Rochester generated several quality opportunities in the first half but could not find the finishing touch.
The second half followed a similar script with the Rockets controlling much of the possession and keeping the Bullets pinned in their defensive half for stretches of play. Despite the pressure, Williamsville goalkeeper Brynn Stark continued to come up with massive saves to keep the match scoreless. One of the best chances came when Kate Goss nearly buried a shot, only for Stark to deny the attempt with another key stop.
Overtime brought even more drama. In the first overtime period, Mary Jane Keller broke loose with a chance to win it for Rochester, but Stark once again came through with a clutch save to extend the match.
With neither side able to score, the game moved to penalty kicks.
Williamsville was flawless from the spot, converting all five attempts. Calynn Frye delivered the deciding kick to send the Bullets to the sectional final as Williamsville stole the match in PKs. Stark added one more huge moment in net with a save during the shootout that proved to be the difference.
Rochester’s season comes to an end after a strong campaign that included a regional championship and a 12-5-4 overall record.
Frye sends Williamsville to the Sectional Final
Brynn Stark saves the PK to help propel Williamsville to the win over Rochester.
Calynn Frye talks PK win over Rochester.
#15 Abby Mehring makes a great clearance for Rochester.
#15 Kailyn Milnes with some great defense for Williamsville.
Rochester’s #21 Taylor Kavanagh gets a look on goal from a perfect pass from #10 Mary Jane Keller.
#6 Jayla Singer with a great defensive step for Williamsville.
#22 Charli Lowder sneaks past the back line to get a look at goal for Rochester.
Williamsville #10 Ella Plumb with the sweet free kick that shakes the cross bar.
#00 Grace Webb makes a smooth grab for Rochester.
#12 Cami Berberet with the great defense for Rochester.
#9 Myra Gibson with great defensive shielding for Rochester
#00 Brynn Stark makes a great sliding save for Williamsville
