By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The thought of their only loss of the season fueled the Fairport boys’ soccer team Thursday night.
Pete Critchlow netted two goals and assisted on two others as the No. 1 Red Raiders advanced to the Section Five Class AA final with a decisive 4-0 victory over the No. 4 Rush-Henrietta Comets.
Critchlow beat a defender with a cutback move and connected from the top of the 18-yard box to give Fairport a 1-nil lead in the 21st minute. Six minutes later he recovered the rebound from his own header attempt and found the back of the net through a swarm of bodies.
“I just turned and shot, and it ended up going in,” Critchlow said. “All of sudden the ball was in the box, and I just tried to get my head on it. It ended up hitting him. The ball was rolling back out, and I wanted to get another shot, so I got it. I was lucky enough that it went in.”
Critchlow assisted on a pair of second-half tallies, and Fairport improved to 16-1-1 on the season. Their only loss, a stinging 3-2 overtime setback to R-H on August 31st. A game which the Red Raiders led 2-nil at half.
“It was a reminder every day that they have beaten us, and that they can do what we don’t want them to do and beat us,” Critchlow noted. “We came every day knowing that we have to work hard for the full 80 minutes because they are a second-half team.”
R-H scored in the 75th minute of the first meeting between the two to send the match overtime where Sam Smyth connected for the game winner.
“They’ve come back too many times, so we didn’t want them to do that,” Critchlow added. “We had to bury them early and get the win.
“At halftime coach reminded that they have come back many times.”
Bobby Guilfoil assisted on Critchlow’s first tally.
Critchlow’s cross from the right flank found Diego Zavala for a three-goal advantage in the 47th minute.
Billy Mueller scored off Critchlow’s free kick from the right side for the final margin of victory.
Critchlow had a chance for the hat trick when Zavala delivered a service from the left corner, but his header caromed off the cross bar.
Jake Horst made four saves for the clean sheet.
Fairport will meet No. 7 Webster Thomas Tuesday in the Class AA final. A 7:30 p.m. kickoff is scheduled.
The Red Raiders won the only meeting between the two teams this season, 2-0. Matt Gasbarre scored both goals in the September 17th match.
Fairport fell to Hilton in last year’s final. The Red Raiders won the in 2013 and 2014. Both years they advanced to the state final.
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