Sharick Breaks Scoring Record in Senior Day Win
On a day when the Keuka College women's soccer team paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of its four seniors, it was only appropriate that senior Nicole Sharick (Corfu, NY/Pembroke) became the Green and Gold's all-time leading goal scorer.
For the first time in her illustrious career, Sharick scored four goals and added two assists (10 points) and fellow senior Sarah Capek (Elmira, NY/Horseheads) added two goals as the Storm
defeated Wilson College, 8-0 Sunday afternoon at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
Sharick, a three-time North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) selection as a forward, upped her career total to 51 goals, and now has 17 goals on the year for the Storm (7-5, 7-3 NEAC).
With her seventh multi-goal game of the year, Sharick broke Nicole Bondellio's old school-record of 50 goals, set when Bondellio played from 2004-07.
Sharick, who already was the Storm's single-season goals leader with 17 during 2010, scored three times during a span of 18 minutes to break Bondellio's record and tie the record for most goals in a season.
Junior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) added a goal and an assist, and a stout Storm defense held Wilson (2-13, 1-9 NEAC) to just four shots on goal in recording the team's fourth straight shutout.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. It's just really exciting that I actually got my goal of breaking this record," said Sharick, who like Bondellio was a left-footed scoring machine.
"I'm glad my team was behind me, they knew I was close and they helped me get this record. It was a great Senior Day, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Perfect weather, the team was great about everything and we took care of business on the field. That's a great way to go out at home on Senior Day."
Sharick has scored a goal in seven of the Storm's 12 games, and every time she's scored, she's had at least two goals, including a three-goal gem during a 4-1 road win over Gallaudet University on Sept. 23.
Sophomore Marriah Gough (Oneida, NY/Stockbridge Valley) and freshman Maggie Tower (Waterville, NY/ Home schooled) split time in goal and combined for four saves to earn the Storm's fifth shutout of the season.
During the game, Keuka's four seniors, Sharick, Capek, Shelby Seeley (Livonia, NY/Livonia) and Sarah Hillman (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy) were honored on Senior Day for their dedication to the women's soccer program.
"This is amazing, being on this team for four years has been incredible," said Seeley, a four-year member of the team.
"We've all put in a lot of hard work, and the wins we've been able to get have made it all worth it. Seeing the seniors that have graduated in the past made me want to become a better player, to better myself and this team. To win like this on Senior Day is unbelievable."
Capek staked the Storm to a 1-0 lead on a goal in the fourth minute. Sharick played a through ball to Capek outside the right side of the goal, and Capek finished for her first goal of the season.
Bandrowski gave Keuka a two-goal lead a minute later, dribbling through two defenders and beating the goalie to the far post. Sharick pushed the lead to 3-0 in the ninth minute, dribbling through the defense and sending her shot into the far corner of the goal.
Ten minutes later, Capek added her second score of the first half, once again scoring off a well-played cross from Sharick. From the left side of the field, Sharick placed the ball to Capek just outside the net, and Capek finished for a 4-0 lead.
"To score twice on Senior Day is exciting, I've been looking at my teammates who have scored more than I have for inspiration, and it was great to score twice today," said Capek, a four-year member of the team.
"Three years ago, we were picking out the presents for those seniors, and we can't believe the time is finally here for us. We all learned so much from the team and the coaches, and playing with each other we can take away a lot of life lessons from this."
The Storm scored its fifth goal of the half in the 33rd minute. After the defense stole the ball, Sharick dribbled 25 yards through two defenders and pushed her shot high into the far side of the net.
Sharick then scored her second hat trick of the year, receiving a pass from Bandrowski before dribbling through two defenders and scoring in the 38th minute.
Leading 6-0 at halftime, Sharick's record-setting goal came six minutes into the second half, when she dribbled past three defenders and scored from 12 yards out for a 7-0 lead.
Junior Chrisine Dedes (Shortsville, NY/Red Jacket) finished the scoring in the 81st minute. Gough, who made one save in goal in 38 minutes, re-entered as a midfielder and fired a shot on goal that glanced off the crossbar. Dedes was there to collect the rebound and scored for her first career collegiate goal for Keuka, which won for the fourth time in five conference games.
Hillman has not been able to play for most of the year while she recovers from multiple concussions, but while she wishes she had been on the field with her teammates, she couldn't have been prouder with how her teammates played on Senior Day.
"I love these girls with all my heart, they're my best friends here, and to just be a part of the team and still be involved is an honor," said Hillman, a four-year member of the team.
"These women are the best teammates I could ever ask for. … It truly is an honor, coach (Jamie) Burke is a phenomenal coach, she's probably the most dedicated person out there and she's not even anyone who plays on the field. It's a joy to play for her and be a part of her team."
The Storm hits the road for the last two games of the regular season. Keuka travels to Morrisville State for a 4 p.m. game on Oct. 23 before concluding the regular season at SUNYIT on Oct. 27.
With two regular-season games remaining, Keuka has 21 points, tied with Penn State-Harrisburg for fourth place in the NEAC, but Harrisburg owns the tiebreaker thanks to a 6-1 win over the Storm. The top six teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which starts Oct. 31.
