Cold Spring Harbor girls soccer heads to state Class B championship with semifinal shutout

CORTLAND — When Alexandra Rossen saw Ruby Spielberger beating and outrunning defenders down the sideline, the Cold Spring Harbor eighth-grader knew exactly where she needed to go. She went straight toward the net because that’s where the ball was about to be.

Spielberger sent a cross toward the net just past the outstretched arms of the Hornell goalkeeper and Rossen finished the game’s only goal as Cold Spring Harbor defeated Hornell, 1-0, in the girls soccer state Class B semifinals at Cortland High School on Saturday.

“She had a perfect cross and I just tapped it in,” Rossen said. “I knew it was going to come right in front of me. Ruby’s crosses are always great. To be up that early in the first half really set the tone for the rest of the game.”

“I think it changed the momentum of the game,” Spielberger added. “It boosted our confidence and everyone was like, ‘We can win this.’ Everyone really picked it up once we were up 1-0.”

That one goal has Cold Spring Harbor one victory away from its first girls soccer state title since 2000 when the Seahawks (11-2-5) play Marcellus at 3 p.m. on Sunday at SUNY Cortland in the state Class B final.

Hornell finished 17-2-2.

Charlotte Madigan had six saves behind a strong defensive performance, which included Mackenzie McGraw, Chase Vitagliano, Lyla Long, Sophie Canzoneri, Jenna Zahtila and Francesca Chiarenza on the back line.

“They don’t get the credit they deserve,” coach Ryan Towers said of the defense which recorded its third straight shutout.

“This whole year they’ve been solid and we don’t drop off when we sub. Defensively, it’s a whole team. We were excellent. We worked hard, we didn’t panic and it starts with defense.”

Saturday was also Cold Spring Harbor’s first time in a state semifinal since 2012. “I think this is such a monumental moment for all of us,” senior midfielder Maggie Spehr said.

“We’ve been on this team for so many years and never made it this far so we just came out here and we wanted to have fun and really experience states.”

That experience isn’t over yet though, and the Seahawks aren’t satisfied with just one victory in Cortland.

“We need to give it our all and believe that we can do this,” Spielberger said. “We’ve made it this far, we made the five-hour drive, we need to finish strong and come home with the state championship.”