By PAUL GOTHAM
HENRIETTA — Curtis Rowe connected on a pair of goals, and the Rush-Henrietta Royal Comets defeated Gates-Chili in Section V Class AA boys’ soccer action, Tuesday.
Rowe scored with 13 minutes remaining in the first half to give R-H a 2-nil advantage going into the break. The senior midfielder added an insurance tally midway through the second half.
“It was a great effort from him,” Rush-Henrietta head coach Jake Falci said. “He wants this probably worse than anyone on our team.”
Rowe volleyed a Jason Pike cross from the right flank for his first marker of the day. The two combined on the Royal Comets third tally of the day when Pike threaded a pass through the Gates-Chili backline. Rowe chased it down, beat a defender and put a shot on net. After an initial save on the play by Spartan goalkeeper Justin Bailey, Rowe followed his shot and scored into an empty net.
“To take that ball at midfield, beat a defender, beat the goalkeeper, to have that much gas left at the end of the game that just shows his heart and his want,” Falci noted.
65’ Curtis Rowe runs down a Jason Pike lead and gives Rush-Henrietta a 3-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/XOUl8a26za
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 16, 2018
Divisional foes a year ago, R-H took the only meeting this season between the former Monroe County Division I rivals.
“Jim does a great job with them,” Falci said of Gates-Chili head coach Jim Vanderhoof. “They’re a tough group. Any time you play them you know it’s going to be a physical battle. You know they’re going to have that intensity and get after you. It’s your ability to weather the storm, and that’s what we did.”
Cory Meintel got R-H on the scoreboard with his second goal of the season. Rowe’s markers were his fifth and sixth.
“We haven’t had that kind of effort upfront,” Falci noted. “It’s hard because you want to score and you want to be in the box and have the ball delivered to you there. But it’s all the dirty work to win balls back get it to your midfielders and then get yourself forward… It’s all those little things that build up into being able to attack and get yourself into the box.”
HALFTIME of opening round Class AA: Rush-Henrietta 2 @GatesChiliHS 0. Saves here courtesy of RH keeper Ethan Scheuer and Dylan Oaks. Goals: Curtis Rowe and Cory Meintel pic.twitter.com/SqzFxz4iDx
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 16, 2018
With the win, R-H sets up a third meeting with Fairport this season. The Red Raiders took the first head-to-head , 1-0. The two teams played to a scoreless draw in the second match.
“They’re so well-coached,” Falci said of Fairport which has allowed just seven goals on the season. “They’re so organized and good defensively. It’s phenomenal to have those guys so engaged defensively.”
R-H improved to 7-7-2 on the season. Of their seven losses, five have been by one goal including setbacks to Spencerport (t-No. 20 NYSSWA Class A), Churchville-Chili (No. 7 NYSSWA Class A) and twice to Hilton (No. 5 NYSSWA Class AA).
“That’s the good thing about our league. We’ve played so many good teams. We’re battle tested.”
The two teams will meet Friday at Fairport. A 4:30 PM kickoff is scheduled.
“You know what it’s a one-game season. That’s the thing you love about sectionals. It’s not a series. It’s not a home-and-home. It’s just one game and anything can happen in that one game. Now, we’re the underdog and we like that. I like to be able to chase it, and that’s what we’re going to instill in our kids over the next couple of days and see if we can go chase them.”
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