“We pull ourselves up and play as a team.” — Lady Bear Morgan McHugh”

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — It was ‘Snakes Alive!’ at Sullivan West during the homecoming senior recognition girls varsity soccer game against the visiting Lady Bears of Tri-Valley on Friday night, October 4.

At about midpoint in the first frame, the booters discovered that a water snake had decided to relocate itself from a nearby pond onto the swamp-like field, a move that sent the players racing for cover as the refs and home-team coaches came to the rescue.

Sullivan West’s veteran coach Mike “Elmo” Ellmauer bopped the unwelcome serpent on the noggin with the game ball, while assistant helmsman Anthony “Coach” Durkin bravely faced off against the reptilian fangs, grabbed the stunned snake by the tail, and tossed it beyond the field of play.

So much for the “snake in the grass” at the home of the Bulldogs, not to be seen again—until perhaps the next game.

Before the start of the match, all eyes focused on the home-team Lady Bulldogs as they presented bouquets of flowers to their beaming parents and relatives during the homecoming senior recognition ceremony. 

This year’s girls’ varsity soccer squad is senior-rich, as it boasts a baker’s dozen plus one 12th-graders: Sage Aviles, Samantha Becker, Caitlin Brockner, Tallula Gann, Greta Hauschild, Sydney Hermann, Jenna Kratz, Corinne Laarmann, Kristen Lebron, Josephine Martinez, Isabel Nearing, Gillian Rapp, Kayla Schock, and Kara Spath.

See senior night photos here.

A couple of Lady Bulldogs really stepped it up during the match, as they both scored two goals: in the first frame Samantha Becker (37:03) and (30:43), along with teammate Josephine Martinez, who scored at 12:28 in the opening half to put Sullivan West up 3-0, and again for the first goal in the final frame at 13:11.

As the match drew to a close, Diana TerBush of Tri-Valley scored on a contested PK at 5:33, while Sullivan West’s Clare Hart erased it at 2:52 on a free kick to give Sullivan West (6-4-1) a berth in the upcoming sectionals with the 5-1 victory.

Game stats: SW — 30 shots, 25 shots on goal, 7 corner kicks; TV — 13 shots, 8 shots on goal, 1 corner.

The 2018 season marks Tri-Valley’s coach Mary Feusner’s 38th year at the helm of legions of Lady Bears booters.

“Not enough of my kids were playing like Morgan McHugh and Diana TerBush,” she said.

The Lady Bears (2-6) are headed into the consolation tourney scheduled for mid-month at Monticello.

Captains: McHugh, TerBush and Rebecca Reynolds.

“We’re doing pretty well… we need to improve on our aggressiveness, passing and overall, work as a team”, said TerBush, a 16-year old senior.

McHugh added, “When we get down, we pull ourselves up and play as a team.”

Mike Ellmauer, recovered from his battle with the errant reptile, said a couple of tough games coming into the match against the Lady Bears was just what the doctor ordered, in that, “it helped us mature a little bit….emotionally, physically and mentally.”

“Tonight was a great night…we came out fired up…we shook them up a little bit when we scored that first goal, pushed them back on their heels, which is what we want to do.”

Samantha Becker’s take on the game?

“I thought we played a great game… I’m really excited that we made it to sectionals.”

Josephine Martinez said, “I think we’re having more fun as the season is progressing… we’re getting better together.”

“But we’ve got to control our anger a little bit,” she added a tad ruefully.