Two hat tricks power Monroe-Woodbury to second straight Section 9 title

WALLKILL Kyra Gilligan and Grace Gillette each recorded a hat trick Wednesday as top-seeded Monroe-Woodbury dominated third-seeded Kingston, 8-0, to capture its second consecutive Section 9 Class AAA girls soccer championship. The Crusaders (14-2-1) seized control early, scoring six first-half goals while keeping Kingston (6-11-1) under constant pressure and largely confined to its own end of the field. Gilligan scored all three of her goals in the first half, while Gillette found the net twice before halftime and completed her hat trick in the second half. Alyssa Zollo also scored in the opening half for Monroe-Woodbury, and Alessia Matera added the Crusaders’ final goal after the break. The relentless offensive pressure was part of the game plan, Gillette said, as Monroe-Woodbury sought to establish its tempo from the opening whistle. “That was our goal coming into the game,” said Gillette, “just to keep the offense as quick as possible and kind of come out with a strong intensity