SPRINGHILL, NY — Sometimes ‘one’ is the loneliest number in the world.

The Section 9 Eldred girls’ varsity soccer team (13-3) battled the Eagles of Bolton High (16-4), a Section 2 squad, to determine who would move up to the final four, with an eye on the state championship.

The match was played at Springhill High on Saturday, November 5 and showcased the soccer skills of the Eagles, the fourth-ranked team in the state versus the fifth-ranked team, the Yellowjackets of Eldred.

Eldred took to the field as their divisional and sectional champs, only to be defeated by one point (1-0) at the NYSPHSAA matchup.

The Eagles’ Abigail Seamans scored the game’s only goal, racking up the senior captain’s 100th career high-school goal.

“It was a hell of a goal,” said Eagles coach Patrick Morency of Seamans’ direct free kick, a shot that ultimately aced the game for Bolton early in the first frame.

Eldred’s coach Tom Brucher said he was heartbroken by the loss.

“They got one lucky shot, and I’ve got to say goodbye to five good seniors,” he added.

Brucher said he felt the Yellowjackets dominated the match, but “the ball just didn’t bounce our way… I’m just sick to my stomach about it.”

Reflecting on the season, he said, “We had a terrific season, and the girls played their hearts out.

“We had a great bunch of girls [and] they deserved to win. They did an outstanding job, did everything we asked them to do.”

Eagles coach Patrick Morency summed up the match.

“It was a tough game. I give a lot of credit to Eldred… they are very competitive, and put on a lot of pressure, but my girls rose to the occasion.”

“We came up with the big moment,” said Morency. “I’m very happy with the result.”

He noted that Bolton kicked off the season with “not a lot of people expecting much,” but his team, featuring three eighth-graders and a seventh-grader in the starting lineup stepped it up.

”It’s a wonderful thing to see the kids come together,” commented Morency. “It’s a credit to all the hard work they put in on the practice field.”

Caitlyn Johnson guarded the net for the Eagles with seven saves, while Eldred’s goalie was Samantha Clemmons with five keeper saves.

In retrospect, while Eldred lost by one, they fielded a team of 18 dedicated booters whose goal was to be number one, only to fall short by a single shot.

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