Windsor, Vestal and Whitney Point send Section 4 to the NYS Final Four

Windsor Central, Vestal, and Whitney Point field hockey teams secured their third straight state Final Four appearances after winning their Class A, B, and C regional games at Tioga High School this weekend, rising as the top three in Section 4 for the fourth straight year.

The trio will compete at Arlington High School on Saturday, Nov. 14, for a chance to become the first teams in NYSPHSAA history to capture a state title as teams from the same section in the same year.

All three Section 4 teams emerged in the state finals in the Class A, B, and C tournaments for the first time last year. The Windsor Central Black Knights captured their first state title in program history; the Whitney Point Eagles won their fifth straight NYS Class C title; and the Vestal Golden Bears emerged as the Class B runner-up after a 1-0 loss last season.

Class A quarterfinal | Windsor Central v. Port Washington (Section 8-AL)

Windsor (17-2), riding a four-game win streak, defeated Port Washington (8-10-1) 6-0 to advance to the state semifinals.

Windsor junior Isabella Birtch scored the opening goal for the Black Knights, and star midfielder Claire Beattie added two goals in the first half, including a long hit off a penalty corner sequence that put Windsor ahead and stretched the lead to 4-0 at halftime.  

Port Washington evened out possession in the second half but was outscored 1-0 in the third and fourth periods, capping the game at 6-0.  

Birtch led the team with three goals, while Beattie and sophomore Berkley Ingram added two and one, respectively. Windsor also totaled three assists in the shutout.

Advancing: Windsor plays the winner of Northport/Mamaroneck at 11 a.m. at Arlington High School (Field 2) on Saturday, Nov. 14.

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Class B quarterfinal | Vestal v. Yorktown (Section 1-AL)

Vestal (14-3-1) defeated the highly competitive Section 1 team Yorktown (16-4) 3-1 in an overtime shootout after a 2-2 tie to advance to the state semifinals for the second straight season.

Vestal led Yorktown by two goals in the first half, with senior Sadie Parsons scoring both in the first quarter, including a set-piece goal with 0:00 left. Yorktown shook the Golden Bears minutes into the fourth quarter with a goal to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Yorktown forward and all-state selection Lily Diaz blew through the Golden Bears’ defense and hurdled over their goalie to score the Huskers’ second goal of the quarter, tying the game at 2-2 with 9:10 left.

Vestal goalie Mia Jolie Fey played a key role in the Golden Bears’ overtime victory, keeping the Huskers scoreless throughout the 15-minute period and later saving three back-to-back goal attempts in the game-winning shootout.

Advancing: Vestal plays the winner of Manhasset/Lakeland at 1 p.m. at Arlington High School (Field 2) on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Class C quarterfinal | Whitney Point v. Akron (Section 6-AL)

Whitney Point (17-1-1) defeated the Section 6-At-Large team Akron (11-2-1) 9-1 to advance to the state semifinals.

Whitney Point scored thirty seconds into the game to take a 1-0 lead and dominated the rest of the game. The Eagles led Akron 3-0 at the end of the first period and frustrated the scoreless Tigers for the rest of the game, taking a 5-0 lead at the break.

Akron scored two minutes into the second half to shift the tone of the game, breaking the “keep-away” game Whitney Point came out with. The Eagles went on a 4-0 run after giving the opening, ending the game at a dominant 9-1.

Advancing: Whitney Point plays Bayport-Blue Point (Section 11) at 9 a.m. at Arlington High School (Field 2) on Saturday, Nov. 14.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Windsor, Vestal and Whitney Point send Section 4 to the NYS Final Four