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South Side finishes undefeated
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Emily Slome, left, Crystal Dunn and Jackie Cifarelli celebrate after receiving their medals.
Courtesy George Gidicsin
Julie Beyar controls the ball during South Side’s state semifinal victory over Eastchester.
Courtesy George Gidicsin
Beth Gidicsin steps into a free kick during the state semifinal game.
Courtesy George Gidicsin
South Side captured its fifth New York State Class A girls' soccer title in six years last Saturday when it rolled to a 6-0 victory over Greece Arcadia at SUNY Cortland.
Courtesy George Gidicsin
Coach Judi Croutier guided the Lady Cyclones to their fifth state title in six years.
Senior Crystal Dunn saved her best for last, and helped South Side’s girls’ soccer program make history last Saturday at SUNY-Cortland.
Dunn scored four goals and senior Carly Beyar added two as the Lady Cyclones captured their fifth state Class A championship in the last six years and a record 15th overall with a 6-0 victory over Greece Arcadia (Section V). Senior goalkeeper Mersina Onesto made five saves to post her fifth shutout in seven playoff games.
“It’s really special,” said the University of North Carolina-bound Dunn, who missed all but three games in South Side’s state runner-up 2008 campaign because of her commitment to the Under-17 national team. “Knowing it was the last time we were going to play together made for an emotional night before the game. It's great to go out on top, and I'm confident South Side's tradition will continue.”
The Lady Cyclones, 1-0 winners over Eastchester (Section I) in last Friday’s semifinals, finished undefeated for the second time in three seasons, going 17-0-2. They outscored their playoff competition by a 31-2 margin.
“Undefeated wasn’t something we were striving to be,” said coach Judi Croutier. “It’s nice, and I think it shows how hard the girls worked and how much chemistry they had on and off the field.”
Dunn, who had nine goals and six assists in the playoffs and 20 goals and 13 assists on the year, took her already impressive game to another level in November. Her goal with 5:27 left in the first half off a pass from senior defender Jackie Nicholas held up as the winner against Eastchester, and she set the tone in the championship game by scoring at the 3:30 mark. "It was the first time I scored in the state final," said Dunn, a member of three state championship teams.
“Crystal’s last game in a South Side uniform was her best game,” Croutier said. “Not only did she get four goals, but the passes she was making all day were great. She’s an unselfish player who makes everyone around her better.”
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