It was an opportunity for the Pine Bush girls’ soccer team to measure its progress, and for a half the Bushmen were even with the reigning Section 9 Class AA champions, the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders.

After a scoreless half, the Crusaders exploded for four goals in the second half three by LillyAnna Bandel as they sent the Bushmen to a 4-1 Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I loss on Friday afternoon at Pine Bush High School.

“We played a really good first half, had a couple of opportunities to score and we didn’t put them in,” Pine Bush coach Dan Conley said. “Then in the second half, they were just a little more physical than us, winning more 50/50 balls.”

However, it was a foul against a Pine Bush player that led to the Crusaders’ first score.

Bandel took a free kick on the left side, outside the 18-yard box less than a minute into the second half. She lofted her shot over the outstretched hand of Pine Bush goalkeeper Grace Druke for the Crusaders’ first goal of the game.

The Bushmen had a chance about five minutes later to tie the game when Gianna Conklin brought the ball up the right side and crossed a pass to Ava Boffalo, whose kick went just wide of the goalmouth.

However, Monroe-Woodbury goalkeeper was whistled for a foul, giving Boffalo a penalty kick.
Boffalo buried it to tie the game.

But Bandel gave the Crusaders the lead for good with her second goal of the game. She assisted on a goal by Kayla Coleman and then scored her third late in the second half.

The Bushmen had opportunities to tie the game, but in the 54th minute, Morgan Tubbs had a shot that was saved and had another go over the crossbar. Kathryn Cragan also had a shot go wide and another that was saved.

“We had an opportunity to tie it (2-2), but we didn’t have enough people in the box, and they came right back, and they make it three,” Conley said. “It could have been 2-2, and now it’s 3-1. That hurts against a team like this that’s not going to give up many goals.”

The Bushmen were scheduled to finish their first run through the division on Tuesday when they visited the Kingston Tigers. Then, after two non-league games, they will run through the division for a second time.

They will see the Crusaders again on October 10 in Central Valley.

“We have to have some confidence going into seeing them the next time around,” Conley said. “We have to fix a couple of the mistakes that we made, and we’ve got to finish our opportunities.”