By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A span of 2.7 miles separates Greece Athena High School from Greece Arcadia. Island Cottage, Latta and Long Pond Roads comprise the frequent thoroughfares connecting the schools. Friday night the Monroe County Division III rivals will convene at Hilton High School’s LeBeau Field to decide the Section V Class A1 crown. Here’s what you need to know:
No. 2 seed GREECE ATHENA TROJANS (14-2-2/Monroe County Division III) vs. No. 4 seed GREECE ARCADIA TITANS (12-6-0/Monroe County Division III)
How they got here: Greece Athena (No. 18 NYSSWA Class A) shut out No. 7 seed Irondequoit, 5-0 in the quarterfinals and followed that with a 3-nil win over Churchville-Chili in the semifinals. Greece Arcadia beat fifth-seeded Wilson Magnet, 4-1 before toppling top-seeded Spencerport in the semifinals.
Total goals scored: Greece Athena (55), Greece Arcadia (44)
Total goals allowed: Greece Athena (18), Greece Arcadia (21)
Season Series: Athena took both head-to-head meetings during the regular season winning at home 3-nil on September 7th and 3-1 on September 27th.
Trends: Athena has won eight straight and is unbeaten in their past dozen. Arcadia has won four of five.
Names to know: Greece Athena – Victor Alongi (Jr. attacker 6 goals/4 assists), Othman Belhseine (Sr. attacker 17 goals/4 assists – since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this season, he has four hat tricks in five games leading up to Friday’s final), Jared Burns (Jr. goalkeeper), Ryan Fitzgerald (Jr. midfielder 2 goals/5 assists), Michael Loiacono (Sr. outside back 2 goals, 1 assist), Nate Masucci (Jr. attacker 2 goals/3 assists), Brian Piendel (Jr. back 4 goals/1 assists), Dylan Rice (Jr. center midfielder 14 goals/10 assists), Gavin Rice (So. outside back 2 assists), Michael Tracey (Jr. center back 1 goal/3 assists).
Greece Arcadia – Dino Begovic (Jr. midfielder 3 goals/1 assist), Camden Englert (Sr. midfielder 3 goals/8 assists), Adam Hurlbutt (Jr. center back 1 goal/1 assist), Cooper LaValley (Sr. attacker 15 goals/2 assists), Aidan Lewandowski (So. midfielder 5 goals/8assists), Taber Monks (Sr. attacker 3 goals/2 assists), Elvir Odzakovic (Fr. back 2 goals/2 assists), Lorenzo Ramos-Chavez (So. outside back) and Gabe Taylor (So. goalkeeper).
Coaches: Mike Butler (Greece Athena), Matt Vergamini (Greece Arcadia)
History 101: Dylan Rice, CJ Takatch and Cameron Welling netted a goal apiece when Athena downed Arcadia, 3-1 in the 2016 A1 title game. That was the Trojans third straight title under Butler. Arcadia is looking to win its first title since 1993 when the Titans took the Class BB crown.
A 7:30 PM kickoff is scheduled Friday night.
Leave a Reply