The Ellicottville senior and her New York teammates were 0-3 in those games.

To break the losing streak, New York called in reinforcements in the form of the Frewsburg Bears.

Frewsburg’s Alex Hultberg had two goals and an assist while Fillmore’s Hope Russell also had two goals as New York beat Pennsylvania 5-2 in the girls Gold game at Bradford High School’s Parkway Field.

“We knew that we had a bunch of girls that could contribute and help the New York team,” said Scott Stone, Frewsburg’s head coach and an assistant with the New York team. “It showed.”

Frewsburg’s Zack Carr protects the ball from St. Marys’ Aiden McKay during the boys Gold game Sunday. Times Observer Photo by Matt Spielman

Hurlburt was one of four girls honored for playing after each of their high school years — the other three were all from Pennsylvania: Stefanie Hoyt of DuBois, Lauren Placer of Bradford and Emily Prince of Bradford — and until Sunday evening those three were all undefeated against Hurlburt.

Not anymore.

“We’ve worked really hard, this year especially,” Hurlburt said. “We created more of a family-like bond instead of just girls who came together to play in one game. I’m on top of the world.”

Hultberg, the back-to-back and reigning Post-Journal/OBSERVER Player of the Year, put her stamp on the game from the midfield position.

Having already proven herself against southwestern New York competition, Hultberg did the same against the best northwestern Pennsylvania has to offer.

Warren’s Jack Darling was named Most Valuable Player for the Pennsylvania team in the boys Gold game at the NY/PA Corporate Cup Soccer Showcase on Sunday in Bradford. Times Observer Photo by Matt Spielman

“She never surprises me,” Stone said. “She just comes up big in the biggest moments.”

Russell and Kane’s Emily Stephan-Payne answered each other’s goals to make it a 1-1 game early on.

That’s when Hultberg began to take over.

The soon-to-be Bears senior took control of a deflection around the 45-yard line, dribbled in 15 yards and then let a shot go that beat Pennsylvania’s goalkeeper into the corner of the net for a 2-1 lead.

“I just got a little space,” Hultberg said. “I put my head down and ripped it.”

The goal was celebrated with graduating Frewsburg forward Tyra Clark — who played in the Corporate Cup when she attended Randolph — incoming senior Ashlyn Samuelson, and another graduating Bears teammate Reagan Chitester, who locked down New York’s defensive end of the field for much of the night.

“Nobody really knows her out there and that’s an advantage for her,” Stone said. “We put an emphasis on shooting the ball. She found some space and took it.”

Bradford’s Maddi Cowburn tied the game for Pennsylvania early in the second half with a right-footed shot from just inside the top of the 18-yard box.

It didn’t take long for New York to answer again.

And while Hultberg was elated with the next goal, it wasn’t off of her foot, but rather a play that she helped set up and ended up in the eventual game-winning goal for Samuelson, who just happens to be her cousin.

“I’m so happy for her,” Hultberg said.

“They love each other,” Stone said. “They definitely root for each other. Her reaction to Ashlyn’s goal was priceless.”

Hultberg gave New York a 4-2 lead off a free kick that came from the 20-yard line, but all the way from the sideline. The right-footed shot glanced off the Pennsylvania keeper’s hand and into the net, locking up what would turn out to be a Most Valuable Player performance for Hultberg.

“Every time she steps over a free kick, I think it’s going in,” Stone said. “That was the exact same goal she scored against Chautauqua Lake two years ago in the sectional final.”

Ellicottville’s Brooke Butler was named New York’s Sportsmanship Award winner.

“This is probably one of the last times I’ll play with her,” Hurlburt said of her high school teammate. “It was really great to be able to share that experience.”

CARR, MURRAY HELP BOYS

New York also won the boys Gold game 3-0 with the help of a pair of Frewsburg players: goalkeeper Connor Murray and midfielder Zack Carr.

Murray made a pair of key saves while the game was tied 0-0 in the first half.

Carr made his mark with a pair of precise passes.

First, from the 42-yard line, Carr sent a pass into the 18-yard box that was nearly put home by Allegany-Limestone’s Eric Spring, but cleared away by Warren’s Jack Darling inside the 6-yard box.

Minutes later, Carr tried the same kind of pass and was rewarded when Bolivar-Richburg’s Reiss Gaines headed the ball past a rushing Ty Guilds, Pennsylvania’s goalkeeper, into the back of the net from 20 yards out for a 2-0 lead.

“It didn’t take long to see how much work (founders) Kris (Linderman) and Dave (Talbot) put into this. It’s a great event,” Stone said. “The kids love it and it’s a big deal.”

NOTES: Silver games were added to the Corporate Cup this year allowing more student-athletes the opportunity to play. … In the girls Silver game, New York won 4-0. Cuba-Rushford’s Sophia Riquelme scored twice while Wellsville’s Lauren Viglietta and Ellicottville’s Audrey Hurlburt also scored. Olean’s Jezerae Fayson was the New York Sportsmanship Award winner and Port-Allegany’s Kailey Bartlett won the award for the Pennsylvania team. Riquelme and Kane’s Jillian Watts were their teams’ MVPs. … Pennsylvania won the boys Silver game 2-0. St. Marys’ Jason McAnany scored a goal and was the Pennsylvania MVP. Kane’s Ethan Illerbrun also scored. Olean’s Max Bee won the New York Sportsmanship Award and Pioneer’s Zander Terhune was the team’s MVP. Elk County Catholic’s Bobby Urmann was named the Pennsylvania Sportsmanship Award winner. … In the girls Gold game, Hoyt earned the Pennsylvania Sportsmanship Award and Bradford’s Cowburn earned the MVP. … In the boys Gold game, Allegany-Limestone’s Jack Conroy earned his second straight Sportsmanship Award and the Gators’ Hudson Kwiatkowski earned his second straight MVP honor. For Pennsylvania, Kane’s Josh Greville was the Sportsmanship Award winner and Darling earned MVP honors.