By PAUL GOTHAM
BRIGHTON, N.Y. — Last season, Cullen Bock led the Wayne Eagles in goals scored. Earlier this year, head coach Tim Mattle asked his senior to switch to goalkeeper. That decision paid dividends Tuesday night.
After 80 minutes of regulation and 30 of overtime, second-seeded Wayne and third-seeded Pittsford Mendon moved to penalty kicks.
Bock stopped back-to-back attempts, and the Eagles advanced to Friday’s Class A2 final.
After allowing conversions from the first two Pittsford Mendon Vikings to step to the line, Bock saved the fourth and fifth attempts, first sliding to knock away a ball played on the ground to his left and then laying out to thwart a blast destined for the corner to his right.
“A lot of mental focus for me to be able to save those penalties and be able to read what the shooter’s doing,” the senior goalkeeper explained. “I just look at their hips and know exactly where their hips are facing. I’ve always been told by multiple coaches ‘don’t guess.’ That’s always been my motto for the last five years of being a goalie. I’m just able to read them.”
Dylan Cook took advantage and connected on the game winner for a final count of 4-3.
The win ended three years of frustration for the Eagles who had reached the semifinals each year since 2016 without advancing.
“It was a mental hurdle,” Mattle said. “Devin LaDue and Matt Gentile have been with us on varsity since ninth grade. This was their fourth straight semifinal. It was a mental game tonight. They had to believe to stay with it and good things can happen. The ball might have bounced our way once or twice tonight, but you’re due for that. After four years, you got to get the ball to bounce your way a little bit.”
Bock was the first one to embrace Cook after hitting the game winner.
“Last year he was our leading scorer,” Mattle stated. “He played the first two games in the field this year. I said Cullen ‘I have a sneaky suspicion that we won’t win a sectional title unless you’re in goal. You’re that good in goal.’ He said ‘all right. I’ll do what you want me to do.’ He gave up the glory position as a forward and has carried us ever since.
“The last five minutes we decided to play for PKs. We just pushed back and let’s just drain this five minutes. We got Cullen Bock in goal.”
With Bock, who has played the position for his club team, in goal, Wayne has won nine straight and outscored opponents 30-2 (penalty kicks withstanding) over that stretch.
“It’s amazing,” Bock said of getting to the finals. “It’s an energy boost for my team, one. Two, my back four is amazing. It gives me great confidence to be able to play the ball at my feet.”
Gentile gave Wayne the lead less than nine minutes into the game. The senior midfielder collected the rebound of his own corner kick along the end line and lofted a ball that tucked under the cross bar.
Pierce VanBenthuysen leveled the match in the 50th minute when he capped a 40-yard rush by slotting near post for the equalizer.
Wayne (No. 24 NYSSWA) will play Pittsford Sutherland (No. 9 NYSSWA) in the Class A2 final on Friday night. A 5 PM start time is scheduled at Hilton Central Schools.
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