Somers soccer teams bow out of playoffs

SOMERS, N.Y. - The sectionals are in full swing, and both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams were in action. Whether on the road or at home, the locations didn’t matter in the end.

The boys fell 2-0 at Panas, while the girls suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in double overtime against Sleepy Hollow.

The boys held a shutout for nearly 60 minutes, but the best chances continued to come against the Somers goal. Eventually, the imbalance showed: a Panas striker got free, and despite Somers goalie Ben Baran’s efforts, the ball found the net.

Somers didn’t give up, though, with two near misses. Trevor Keimig fired a rocket from the wing that deflected off the goalie’s outstretched glove, and on a penalty kick at 12:27, Harper Ritson’s header sailed just wide of the post. In the end, Panas sealed the game with a goal in the final three seconds for the 2-0 win.

The girls’ game ended more dramatically. Somers took the lead first, thanks to an incredible play by Lindsey Ulaj. Receiving a high-bouncing pass in the middle of the field, Ulaj executed a windmill-like kick to control the ball and beat the goalie one-on-one.

Somers maintained their advantage through most of the first half, but Meghan McMahon tied the game with a rebound goal with just 2:11 left in regulation. She then completed the victory for Sleepy Hollow by scoring again 11:05 into the second overtime, handing the Tuskers a tough 2-1 loss.