Revolution U-12 girls soccer wins second straight tourney

Courtney Kramer, Shannon Doherty, Katie Cohen, Cathryn Mahon, Alicia Girard, Francesca Carra; third row - coach Frank Berrafato, Alyssa Cartwright, Annie Garcia, Kaitlin Walsh, Margaux Gill, Kaitlyn Neese, coach Tony Eichhorn; missing from photo - head coach Bredan Murphy and player Morgaine Houston.

The Amherst Revolution U-12 girls soccer club won its second consecutive tournament, winning the Batavia Soccer Tournament on June 9-10.

Team play is the mark of the Revolution and this weekend was no exception. Playing without injured teammate Morgaine Houston, the Revolution allowed only three goals in four games.

In the first game, the Revolution played a tough Brockport Blizzard team. Defense was the name of this game and goalkeepers Francesca Carra and Christine Murphy made several spectacular saves to keep Brockport off the board.

Defenders Angela Sobotka, Shannon Doherty, and Alicia Girard were exceptionally strong in their own end, blanketing the Blizzard players.

Nika Berrafato's strong play on a loose ball in front of the Brockport net led to the first Revolution goal. Berrafato's pass to Cathryn Mahon, whose pass to Kaitlyn Neese was booted past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, Sobotka scored the Revolution's second goal and the Revolution started the tourney off with a 2-0 victory.

The second game found the Scottsville Wildcats in the Revolution sights. Goalkeepers Francesca Carra and Murphy combined for a 7-0 shutout. Six different Revolution players scored goals, led by Berrafato with two, followed by one each by Margaux Gill, Katie Cohen, Sarah Eichhorn, Kaitlyn Walsh, and Doherty. Also having great games were Alyssa Cartwright and Hannah Dreger, both which made plays happen with aggressive play and pinpoint passing.

On Sunday, the tough Salt City Cougars were on the prowl stalking the Revolution. The Revolution needed a win or a tie to advance to the championship game.

Salt City stung the Revolution with a goal in the first few minutes of the game. For the rest of the half, great defensive play limited the Cougars to a few shots on goal as Annie Garcia, Kaitlin Walsh, and Alicia Girard had exceptional games.

The Revolution began to pepper the Salt City goalkeeper with shots but to no avail. The Revolution tied it on a beautiful pass from Sobotka to Courtney Kramer that Kramer blasted past the Cougar goalkeeper. A perfect throw-in from Gill to Berrafato created the second Revolution goal. A late goal by the Salt City team couldn't stop the Revolution from advancing into the championship game against the Chili Lightning.

In the final, the Revolution who has played in three championship games in three tournaments, started fast but early on couldn't put the ball in the back of the net.

Just before halftime, the Revolution scored the first goal of the game from Gill to Berrafato. A perfect pass from Gill to Berrafato and Berrafato's drive was just below the cross bar and just over the Lightning goalkeeper's hands. The halftime lead of 1-0 seemed as if it would be enough.

Victory seemed near as the game entered the final ten minutes on this sunny day. Suddenly as if rain clouds rolled in on a family picnic, a lighting fast Chili goal was scored and at the end of regulation time, the game was tied 1-1.

Tournament rules stated all championship games ending in a tie would be decided by shootout. Both sides sent out five sharpshooters and a goalkeeper. Keeper Murphy stopped two of the first three shots she faced and Revolution players Gill, Walsh and Carissima Cutrona scored on their first three shots and the Revolution's dreams did come true, winning the Batavia Soccer Tournament.