MCGRAW – Last season the Crusaders of Valley Heights Christian Academy fell short of the victory against the Syracuse Eagles in the Empire State Christian Athletic League (ESCAL) championship game with a final score of 0-2.
The Lady Crusaders soccer team ended their 2018 season on Saturday, October 27, with an incredible win as they pulled off the upset over the Eagles with a final of 2-1 to win the league title and avenging the loss from a year ago.
VHCA's regular season record of 8-1-1 solidified their position as second in the league, with Syracuse Lady Eagles returning to the top of the standings.
In the opening round of the league tournament, VHCA found their way into the championship game after a 2-0 victory over the Baldwinsville in a hard-fought playoff game.
Syracuse moved into the final game with a 4-1 win over the fourth-seeded team from Tyburn, setting up a rematch of the 2017 championship.
Within the first five minutes of the game, the Crusaders' Macey Montgomery managed to get a shot off despite the Eagle’s strong defense. The ball deflected into the goal and Syracuse was stunned as the VHCA underdogs now had a 1-0 lead.
The Crusaders changed their game plan, stacking their defense to keep the Eagles scoreless at halftime. It worked as the contest went into the intermission with the VHCA leading 1-0.
