By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It was all worth it. The Canisius Crusaders (VI) traveled the thruway, stayed a night in a hotel and even endured a passing storm. In return they brought home a championship to Buffalo.
John Paul Bobak and Max Montante sparked a second-half outburst as the Crusaders dispatched the Bishop Kearney Kings, 7-0 to claim the 2016 Catholic Cup at Wegmans Stadium on the campus of Aquinas Institute, Saturday afternoon.
Bobak and Montante scored goals 34 seconds apart early in the second half to spark the Crusaders.
“They’ve been studs on this team,” Canisius coach Christopher Stuff said of his two players. “They’ve been here and on this team since sophomore year. They’re both seniors. They’re both captains.”
With the sky opening and showers coming down, Bobak took advantage of a giveaway at midfield and beat Kearney keeper David Tierney one-on-one. Moments later, Bobak fed Montante in the box for a 3-0 Crusaders advantage in the 50th minute.
“Max was first team All-Western New York Player last year. John Paul is just a goal scorer,” Stuff noted. “Kearney was definitely struggling with their pace as the game wore on”
Canisius pushed the advantage to four in the 60th minute when Montante threaded a pass through the Kearney defense to Abel Tefera who tucked it in the net.
“I think we wore them down,” Stuff added. “Floodgates kinda opened up. I tell these kids all the time it’s all about and wearing kids down playing the ball moving it right to left, left to right. They were too tired in the end to stay with us. We got numbers. We got depth, and that’s a big key.”
Canisius, though, could not get any separation from the Kings in the first half. After Bobak opened the scoring in the ninth minute, Tierney stood tall in the Kearney stopping four point-blank attempts in the half’s final moments.
“He’s awesome in those reactionary situations where you got to be athletic and quick,” Kearney coach Stephen Strauss said. “He sees better than most kids do in that situation. He was really great in the first half. He held his own and kept us in there.”
Tierney snared Tyler Krouse’s header off a corner kick before twice stopping Connor O’Keefe. Tefera got loose behind the Kearney defense but again Tierney was there for the save.
“It was a feeling of frustration,” Stuff said of the feeling at halftime. “You get the heart rate a little high. I told them that we just got to keep going back to the well. Keep doing what you’re doing eventually the ball will go in the back of the net.”
O’Keefe eventually scored in the 67th minute. Alex Nemeth and Bryce Chretien also tallied late.
Kearney starting back T.J. Tytler took a blow to head early in the second half and was removed from the game. The sophomore did not return to action.
“He took a little head knock,” Strauss stated. “We’re not going to risk that, so we just kept him out the rest of the game. Without him holding his own at center defensive midfield spot it’s tough to try to hold Canisius back. They’re so talented.”
Canisius improved to 4-1 with the win.
Kearney fell to 4-3-1 with the loss. Kearney hosts C.G. Finney, Tuesday night. A 7 p.m. kickoff is scheduled.
In other action: City-Catholic Player of the Week Daniel Rooney netted a pair of second-half goals, and the McQuaid Jesuit Knights downed the host Aquinas Li’l Irish, 2-0. Rooney scored on a break in the 51st minute and redirected Adriano Margiotta’s corner kick seven and half minutes later. McQuaid improved to 7-1 and will play World of Inquiry Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Aquinas dropped to 1-7-1. The Li’l Irish will host Greece Athena for a 6:30 p.m. start, Wednesday.
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