State field hockey semifinals next for Akron

Photo by Cheryl Wertman — Akron’s Olivia Diebel and her Lady Tiger teammates will take on Whitney Point in the semifinals of the state Class C field hockey playoffs on Saturday at Maine-Endwell.

Looking to keep the momentum from a big win in the Far West Regional, Akron will take on three-time defending champion Whitney Point (Section IV) in the semifinals of the state Class C field hockey championships at 9:30 Saturday morning at Maine-Endwell High School near Binghamton.

Akron, which is making its first trip to the state semifinals since 1995, advanced by defeating Niagara-Orleans League rival Barker 2-1 for the Section VI Class C title and then romping past East Rochester (Section V) 7-0 in the Far West Regional.

Offensively, Akron has been led by the senior duo of Abby Stone (18 goals, 10 assists) and Rebecca Breymeier (14 goals).

Whitney Point, which has claimed the state crown in 2014, 1015 and 2016, likewise advanced to the semis with a lopsided 9-1 regional victory over Roundout Valley.

The victor will take on the winner of the Carle Place vs. Schuylerville semi in the championship game at 9:30 Sunday morning.

Interestingly, in their last semifinal appearance in 1995, Akron dropped a snowy 5-0 decision to Schuylerville.

Prior to that Akron did capture the state Class C championship in 1992 by defeating Carle Place 2-0 in the semifinals and Oxford 3-2 in the title contest. Ironically that year the Lady Tigers also romped past East Rochester by a very similar score of 6-0 in the Far West Regional.

The Lady Tigers also reached the state championship game in 1993 dropping a narrow 2-1 decision to Red Hook.  Akron advanced by defeating East Rochester and Cooperstown in regional competition and East Hampton in the state semifinals.

That 1992 Akron squad is the only N-O team to date to capture a state field hockey championship.