LIVE: Class C State Semifinals

Game time for the Class C state semifinals between Shoreham-Wading River and Carthage is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Both teams are on the field warming up and after a lot rain fell last night, it looks to be OK this morning. It's an overcast sky, but nothing that looks too threatening. 

The Wildcats haven't played many games this early and I'd guess neither has Carthage. It'll be interesting to see if the early start has any effect. I'm sure at this point in the season both teams are ready to go even if they started the game at 2 a.m.

The first half of the semifinals last year was the toughest stretch the Wildcats had in Cortland last year. The Wildcats have been able to come back when needed, but they'd be smart not to fall behind again. Especially against a Carthage team that has put up huge offensive numbers this year.

The starting lineups:

SWR—

Attack: Megan Gersbeck, Codi Mullen, Jen DeVito, Rachel Wiederkehr

Middies: Chelsey Newman, Kate Brosco, Steph Anderson

Defense: Isabelle Mahoney, Julie Hudecek, Alex Franck, Sam Villafranca

Goalie: Michelle Verbeeck

Carthage—

Attack: Katie Ferris, Alexis Egeberg

Middies: Kailah Kempney, Megan Serota, Emily Sauter, Gabrielle Kamide, Amy Tiernan, Katherine Deronda

Defense: Joelle Percy, Olivia Roggie, Kara Fahsel

Goalie: Ellyse Richardson

Well, only two players were announced as attack for Carthage, so we'll see who else ends up playing there...

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We're ready for the opening draw. It'll be Steph Anderson against Katie Ferris. The draw goes to SWR.

1-0 Right off the draw the Wildcats score on a goal by Chelsey Newman at 24:50. Wow.

2-0. Jen DeVito scores in front and the Wildcats are rolling to start. The goal at 24:33.

Carthage wins its first draw and sets up possession. Villafranca forces a turnover and the Wildcats get the ball.

Brosco turns it over at 23:12. 

2-1 Ferris scores in front in transition on a feed from Gabrielle Kamide at 23:00

Carthage takes its second draw.

2-2 Katherine Deronda splits two defenders and scores to tie the game at 21:58

Carthage takes the next draw.

3-2 Carthage. Ferris scores on a feed from Deronda at 21:47.

4-2. Right off the draw Ferris scores again at 21:38.

The Wildcats get possession after Carthage loses it out of bounds after the draw.

The Wildcats hit back-to-back pipes. Both Wiederkehr sisters hit the right post.

4-3. Brittany DeLea scores on a free position to get the Wildcats back within one at 19:38

Carthage takes the draw. 

5-3. Ferris drills a shot on the free position a step in for her fourth goal at 18:57.

5-4. Anderson scores in front on a feed from Rachel Wiederkehr who caused a turnover and kept the ball in bounds off the endline at 18:14

Wildcats win the draw and set up possession.

5-5. DeVito scores in front on an assist from DeLea at 17:38.

Comets on the draw. Verbeeck makes her first save of the game at 16:55.

6-5 SWR. Brosco scores on the free position at 16:00.

Amy Tiernan with a great play on defense to force a turnover with under 13:10 to play.

Comets turn it over on the other end and the Wildcats clear.

7-5. Anderson scores on a free position at 11:43.

Verbeeck with a great save in front at 10:35.

Ferris has gotten some good looks in front but has missed high or wide on a couple shots.

Wildcats turn it over and the Comets are coming the other way. The scoring has finally slowed a tad from the electric start.

Verbeeck with her third save at under 9:00. She's come up big after allowing the initial string of goals.

Verbeeck with back-to-back saves and she's been the difference so far.

7-6 Ferris scores in transition on a feed from Kamide at 4:40.

The Wildcats win the draw.

Anderson on a drive to the cage gets hit and she's down and slow to get up.

She takes a few deep breaths and will stay on the field. It's Carthage ball, however.

The Wildcats force a turnover when Carthage's goalie throws away a clearing pass.

8-6. Wiederkehr scores a super quick shot on an assist from Newman at 1:27

Carthage goalie comes up with her first save in the final seconds.

That's halftime:

SWR 8, Carthage 6

The winner of this game will face Honeoye Falls-Lima, which leads Nyack 13-2 at halftime.

Halftime Tally:

SWR Goals:

Anderson, 2 goals

DeVito, 2 goals

Newman, 1 goal, 1 assist

DeLea, 1 goal

Wiederkehr, 1 goal, 1 assist

Brosco, 1 goal

Carthage:

Ferris, 5 goals

Deronda, 1 goal, 1 assist

Kamide, 2 assists

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2nd Half

Wildcats win the opening draw.

9-6. Wiederkehr scores again in front on an assist from Brosco and the Wildcats have their biggest lead of the game at 24:01.

Verbeeck with her first save on Kempney.

10-6. DeVito scores to put the Wildcats ahead by four on a feed from Wiederkehr.

The Comets need a time-out. Carthage hasn't substituted at all that I can recall, so the Wildcats depth should wear the Comets down here in the second half. We've seen it time and time again. Carthage's goalie has struggled so far and the backup, Valerie McGuire, a freshman, is warming up.

10-7. Ferris leaps in front and almost slam-dunks the ball into the cage on a feed from Kamide at 21:55.

Wildcats win the draw, their third of the second half.

Big save against Anderson and the Comets are flying the other way. But Verbeeck comes up with a save the other way.

Mahoney with a great play on defense to force a turnover at 18:20.

11-7. Wiederkehr scores on a feed from Anderson as Vlahakis screamed "Rachel!" as the play developed. There's 17:49 to go.

It's the Wildcats on the draw.

12-7. DeVito scores what might be a back-breaker as she catches a feed on the left side off a free position from Wiederkehr at 17:12.

Wildcats win the draw.

13-7. Anderson scores on a free position and the Wildcats are starting to run away with it now. There's 16:31 to go.

14-7. Brosco scores on the free position and the Wildcats have doubled Carthage with 15:32 to go.

The Comets have pulled their goalie and it'll be McGuire in.

Carthage gets the draw, only its second of the second half.

14-8. Ferris scores on a feed from Deronda at 14:21. That's her seventh goal.

The Wildcats have outscored the Comets 6-2 in the second half.

SWR will call a time-out at 14:21.

Verbeeck makes her ninth save at 13:51.  She then makes a save on a low shot on the free position by Kempney.

15-8 DeVito scores on a free position feed from Newman, just like earlier when she connected with Wiederkehr. 12:39 to play.

Ferris gets a yellow card at 12:28.

16-8 DeLea scores unassisted at 12:12.

17-8 Brosco with a great shot inside the top-left corner at 11:58

17-9 Deronda scores at 11:41

Draw goes to SWR.

18-9. Anderson scores on the free position at 10:53 and that equals the most goals Carthage has allowed this season.

19-9 DeVito scores on a low roller after catching the feed in front from Brosco at 9:29. We're into running time.

Wiederkehr gets whistled for a yellow at 8:46.

Vlahakis has put in a lot of the bench players to get everyone some experience on the big stage.

19-10. Tiernan scores on a feed from behind the cage from Kamide at 6:11.

19-11. Kempney scores at 3:34

Verbeeck will take a seat for Sara Bates and leaves to a loud ovation from the SWR fans.

20-11. Corinne Wiederkehr scores her first on a feed from Caitlin King at 3:03

21-11 Gersbeck scores her first after the ball was initially saved but it bounced out of the goalie's stick and went in. This is the most goals they've scored this season.