PLATTSBURGH — It’s been a long time coming. For some Cougars, it’s long overdue.
NCCS got one back against its rival Saranac, winning the girls Section VII Class B title.
“I have to say, my feelings haven’t settled in yet, but it’s, I mean, it’s the best feeling ever,” NCCS’ Kylee Surprenant said. “I mean, I remember being on the team as a freshman, and it was my first year, and if I’m being honest, this is like the biggest night of our lives, because we haven’t beat them in four years.
“And we finally took it to them, and we finally held the banner.”
It took them a while to get it.
The Spartans and Cougars traded goals in regular time, went scoreless in both overtime periods to need penalty kicks to determine a winner.
“Throughout the entire game I was stressing, hoping that we would finally put one back in the net in regular time,” Cougar goalkeeper Peyton Scott said. “But as soon as we got into overtime, I had confidence in these girls that we could easily win this game.
“Although it went to PKs and I was stressing out the entire time, hoping that I wouldn’t let them all in. I’m very proud of this whole team and very excited that I won as a freshman for the first time.”
It took seven rounds to determine a winner.
NCCS’ Brynn Hite, Lexi Roberts, Callie Racine, Emma Guay and Maddie Arno netted goals. Maddie Willette, Grace Damiani, Lily Brown and Abby Owen scored for Saranac.
Arno made the winning goal to put the Cougars ahead.
“I’m still shaking from it, if I’m gonna be honest, but I walked out there and I just told myself, this is nothing but practice,” she said. “All those people out there don’t matter right now. This is all in me and make them everyday practices, nothing different.”
But, it would come down to Scott to secure the win. She would face one kick. If she saved it, game over. If the ball went in the net, the rounds continued.
“Just being doing penalty kicks, always hoping that I’ll be able to, like show up in this moment, definitely helped out, because I’ve been doing them with my teammates, working all week, and once I’ve stepped on that line, I knew if I picked a side and saved up, I’d be good.” she said.
And she did.
“When it first happened, my first thought was to run to Peyton, because she made that save,” Surprenant said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. We just won this thing.’
“Like, I was literally jumping up and down, my mind was going crazy. I had so much excitement.”
It marked a year where head coach Tim Surprenant said things were coming together at the right time.
The Cougars and Spartans had met twice previously and each time the game got closer. Saranac won the first game, 2-1 and the team’s tied in the second game.
“The girls just continue to work hard all year, and each game, you could see a little bit of an improvement,” Tim Surprenant said. Confidence was growing. Playing Saranac three times, it’s hard to beat any team three times.
“And you know, watching film, making adjustments, seeing what they wanted to do and how we wanted to attack them. …We lost to them last year in overtime in the sectional championship. It was nice to come away, come back with a victory.”
Tim Surprenant praised his whole team, especially the work of his back three defenders: Lexi Roberts, Caitlin Cameron and Sydney Lemieux.
“They played 110 minutes and they are rock solid,” he said. “They’ve stayed together. They listen to each other, they know when to pull and they cover for each other.
They’re very disciplined and they are effective, and they know when to just get rid of it because they’re in danger.
Tim Surprenant also praised the adjustments his team was able to make, like keeping it off their right side of the field and closing the channels the Spartans like to play.
“We just kind of went back to the basics,” he said. “You know, there’s no pressure, whatever happens, leave it all in the field and be happy with your performance.
“And they came out, and they rallied together. When we went into overtime, the team took over. The team took over, and the girls won that game.”
Arno agreed saying the team needed to rally together at halftime as they were down 1-0.
“When we started the game, we told the girls that we were gonna win this game, we were gonna play our hearts out,” she said. “And at halftime, I think we were all second guessing ourselves, but coach told us that we need to pick it up.
“We never gave up. We worked together, we talked, we communicated, we executed, we did everything that we had, we gave it our all. I think it means a lot to beat Saranac, because they are our biggest rival.”
Scott smiled at the comment stating she wanted nothing more than to walk away from the PSUC Fieldhouse with a win.
“It’s a rivalry with Saranac throughout all sports,” she said. “We lost last year and I said I’m bringing home that sectional victory. I’m holding that banner and I’m going home.”
Next up for NCCS is a regional semifinal against Section II’s Mechanicville. The game is scheduled for today at 5 p.m. at Niskayuna High School.
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NCCS 1, Saranac 1, 2OT
NCCS advances on PKs
NCCS 0 1 0 0 – 1
SCS 1 0 0 0 – 1
First Half- 1. SCS, Tompkins (Brown) 12:47
Second Half- 2. NCCS, Arno (Guay) 12:44
Shots- Saranac, 18-4
Saves- Scott, NCCS, 16. Castine, SCS, 3