Amsterdam freshman Antonia May scored the winning tie-breaker goal on Friday night in overtime giving the Amsterdam Lady Rams a 2-1 victory over the Broadalbin-Perth Lady Patriots at Lynch Literacy Academy Field. The win was the fifth in overtime this season for AHS, and their fourth win in the Foothills Council.
Tied at a goal apiece in the first ten minute overtime, May was on the receiving end of a corner kick by Lucia Liverio to the right of the BPHS goal. May leaped up and put her head on the ball lifting it past Lady Patriots goalkeeper Morgan Rossi for what turned out to be the game winner with 4:37 left in the period. Amsterdam made the goal stand up keeping Broadalbin- Perth out of the net for the remainder of the first overtime and through the second extra session as well.
“I thought the ball was over my head,” May said of the corner kick. “I just jumped up and it went off my head and in the goal.”
Amsterdam picked up their sixth win overall and fifth this season in overtime. The Lady Rams own a pair of overtime wins against Foothills Council division rival Broadalbin-Perth, one against Hudson Falls, and a pair against Fonda-Fultonville.
“We don’t want to go overtime,” Amsterdam coach Jessica Byerwalters said. “We’re 5-0 in overtime. I don’t know what it is, but I guess we’re an overtime team. We came out with the win and we’ll live with the win.”
The Lady Rams led 1-0 at halftime of regulation, but faced a more aggressive possession minded Broadalbin-Perth team in the second half. The Lady Patriots did a good job of controlling the ball in the Amsterdam zone and it finally paid off at the 23:40 mark when sophomore Mya Tyler booted the ball into an empty net after AHS goalkeeper Jareymarie Aponte could not get a firm grip on the ball as it rolled free in front of the AHS goal. It was the only blemish for Aponte during another outstanding effort in goal. Only moments before the goal by Tyler, Aponte had made a brilliant save off a shot by Mary Zarecki on a corner kick by BPHS. The Lady Patriots had four corner kick opportunities early in the second half, but Tyler’s goal was the only one they converted into a score.
“We had some chances and they had some chances,” Broadalbin-Perth coach Rob Klug said. “It was a back and fourth game. They scored a goal off a corner and came out on top.”
“We could not possess the ball,” Coach Byerwalters said. “It was like we were kicking the ball back and forth. That made it hard on us. We put a lot of pressure on our defense.”
May’s goal took the pressure off everyone. The freshman has know played for two varsity teams in her high school career. As an eighth grader, she was a late season call up to the varsity girls basketball team, just in time to be a part of the Lady Rams run to the sectional final. Mays’ aunt Lucia Liverio also plays for that team, and on Friday night it was her corner kick that led to May’s game winning goal.
“Thank God Toni connected with Lucia on that corner kick,” Coach Byerwalters said. “Otherwise we would be going to penalty kicks.”
Amsterdam got on the board first in the opening period when Haley Madej made good on a crossing pass by Emma Patrei and blasted the ball past Rossi into the right corner of the BPHS net with 13:57 remaining in the first half. Liverio got the scoring play started with a throw in on the right side of the field that quickly found the feet of Patrei who sent a low line drive toward Madei, whose kick was on the mark. The unselfish play on offense has been a key in the Lady Rams success this season. Liverio, Madej, and Patrei are all seniors, and are setting a good example for freshman like May and Jackie Stanavich, who kept pushing the ball into the BPHS zone and away from Lady Patriots forwards.
“Toni, Lucia, Emma, and Haley all work really well together,” Coach Byerwalters said. “Especially on the corners.”
Amsterdam goalkeeper Jareymarie Aponte faced 12 shots on goal and made 11 saves. Her counterpart Morgan Rossi faced 12 shots on goal and made ten saves.
The win boosted Amsterdam’s record to 6-3 overall, and 4-3 in the very competitive Foothills Council.
Their current win total is the most in the past two years. Amsterdam faces Foothills Council foe Queensbury in key road game on Tuesday. Start time at Queensbury High School is scheduled for 4:30 pm. The Lady Rams return to Lynch Field on Wednesday for a non league game against Northville. Kick off is slated for 6pm. The Lady Patriots take the field next at Hudson Falls on Tuesday.
