Sports

Top of the Hill: Hilltoppers best Sea for Archdiocesan crown

St. Joseph Hill's Alexandria D'Acunto, Gianna Smith and Krysta Percaccio (l. to. r.) celebrate a goal.

St. Joseph Hill’s Alexandria D’Acunto, Gianna Smith and Krysta Percaccio (l. to. r.) celebrate a goal. (William Thomas)

St. Joseph Hill's Kristy Ricca makes a leaping save.

St. Joseph Hill’s Kristy Ricca makes a leaping save. (William Thomas)

St. Joseph Hill waited a year to complete the journey it left unfinished.

“This feeling meant the world to us,” senior Krysta Percaccio said.

Last season the Hilltoppers saw their quest for an unbeaten CHSAA Archdiocesan girls soccer title derailed by Notre Dame Academy in the semifinals. They again ran through the regular season without a loss, dispensed of the Gators in the semifinals and won their second crown in the last three seasons with their best performance of the year.

Hill topped rival St. Joseph by the Sea, 4-0, in the final Friday afternoon at the College of Staten Island.

“From everything that happened with us last year, it just means so much to us,” junior keeper Kristy Ricca said. “It’s just the best feeling in the world.”

The Hilltoppers, ranked No. 1 in the city by The Post, knew scoring first and possibly early was imperative against the defensive-minded Vikings (6-5-1). After hitting the post in the early going, Gianna Smith, who had a goal and two assists, finally broke through. She ran onto a Victoria Chirico through ball, carried it deep into the box along the left side and scored to the far right corner to give the Hilltoppers (14-0-0) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.

“The first goal I missed that hit the post messed me up,” Smith said. “It motivated me to get another one.”

Chirico, who had two assists, hit the crossbar two minutes later, but in the 36th minute Smith fed Krista Spano for a goal to make it 2-0. Smith and Meghan Siller each added tallies in the game’s final three minutes to provide the final margin.

The Hilltoppers visit Nassau/Suffolk winner St. Anthony’s in the CHSAA Class AA state semifinals Nov. 11 in South Huntington at a time to be determined.

“I thought we were going to get our chances,” St. Joseph Hill coach Tom Siler said. “They play a nice little combination, one-two touch game that’s very difficult to defend in the tight places. Sooner or later I thought we’d break one, unlock the door as they say.”

His team’s defense which has been sensational all season, greatly limited the Vikings chances. Sea’s best shot at a goal came in the 30th minute with the score just 1-0. Kylie Catapano sent a corner kick into a crowd in front of the goal, but Ricca leapt as high as she could and batted it away. Sweeper Kristina Buccellato proceeded to clear it out of the box.

“I just took that extra step back and that extra step back kept the ball from hitting the back of the net,” Ricca said.

The Vikings had one more chance at a goal when Erini Farid ran onto a ball in the box. Victoria Libertelli was able to clear it away with a two-goal lead in the 52nd minute. Hill has allowed just five goals this season.

“Basically we had to play the game we have been playing since September,” Percaccio said.

All year the Hilltoppers have thought about reclaiming the title. Smith said many of the past players including Colleen Kane and Sam Wysokowski began contacting them on Facebook prior to the contest. It reminded them of the feeling they had after losing last season, one they didn’t want to experience again.

“It’s the best senior year,” Smith said. “It’s the best feeling ever.”