The girls varsity soccer team had a fantastic season this year finishing strong with only 2 losses in the regular season. Post season play had the Lady Bears facing Gouverneur in the first round of playoffs. That game ended in a 1-1 tie after 4 OT’s and a shootout was needed to determine the winner. Canton was able to find the back of the net on 4 out of 5 PK’s and Gouverneur came up short by missing the net on one shot and goalkeeper Abbi Dent was able to stop another making Canton the winners.
Next the girls faced their neighbors Potsdam for the Section X title. That game also ended in a tie after 4 OT’s. (0-0) After completing the first round of PK’s the teams were neck and neck at 4 goals each. The next round of PK’s showed us 5 more shooters to play in sudden victory and after a nail biting shootout Canton came out the victors again moving them onto sub-regional play in Troy.
Canton faced Schalmont in Troy on Tuesday for their chance to advance to regionals next week. Their season sadly ended in Troy losing to Schalmont 4-0. The girls played hard and should be proud of how far they made it this season. The team was resilient and adapting to situations all season long. They faced season ending injuries, loss of players and embracing new payers in the post season. Their bond as a team was strong and that is what helped them overcome obstacles along the way.
Senior Curtain Call for Fearless Five
Canton had five seniors on their team this year.
Let’s start with Bailee Bessette(#4); they say big things come in small packages and Bailee was an excellent example of that. Bailee was a strong defender playing fullback and she owned that spot. Bailee started playing varsity her junior year but suffered injuries that limited her playing time last year. She came back this season healthy and stronger than ever.
Next is Molly Finnerty(#23); Molly also joined varsity her junior year. Molly was a versatile player on the field. She played offense and defense and she was a force to be reckoned with. Molly’s strength and drive was evident every time she stepped on the field.
Our next senior is Catherine (Katie) Chisholm(#3). Katie joined varsity her sophomore year and was also a threat on the field. Katie started out as a defender and did her job very well but this year she was placed more in an offensive location and she showed that she could find the back of the net just as well as she could defend her own. Katie’s speed was remarkable and her endurance was unbelievable.
Jennifer (Jenni) Haycook(#22) is our next senior and she was also the league’s offensive MVP and for good reason. Jenni was a call-up to varsity in her freshman year for playoffs and she never left. Jenni was definitely a playmaker and her midfield presence was undeniably a thorn in the opposing teams’ side. Jenni’s ability to see the play before it even unfolded was uncanny.
Our last senior is also the last person the offense faces, our goalkeeper Abbigail (Abbi) Dent. Abbi is a third year player on varsity as well. Abbi has been a beast on the field. Her style of play is more of a sweeper/goalie rather than just a goalie. She was seen up and out of her goalbox more often than not. Her confidence and remarkable ability to read the plays was the reason she helped her team achieve 9 shutouts this season, including one in the Section X Championship game. Abbi only allowed 9 goals past her in the regular season.
All in all, the five seniors had a huge impact on the teams’ success and they will all be missed. If you were to ask anyone of them why they had such an amazing season, they would all say it was because of the teamwork the entire team put forth every single game.
Editor’s Note: This blog and these photos come courtesy of Becky Dent
Plaindealer Sports 