By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Gavin Rice spent a large portion of the 2021 high school soccer season sidelined with an injury.
Tuesday night, the Greece Athena senior clinched a chance to play one more game.
Rice’s goal midway through the second half broke a 1-1 tie, and the Trojans went on to beat Gates-Chili, 2-1 in Section V Class A opening-round action.
“It feels great,” Rice said. “Tough season. Final game on the home field senior year, it feels great to get a win.”
Rice took a feed from teammate Dom Webber and scored his eighth goal of the season.
“I saw Nick Meyers on the wide,” Rice explained. “He played it in to Dom and Dom’s got great feet, great vision. I knew if I made the right run, he’d find me. And he did. The ball’s in the back of the net.”
Junior Aaron Walker gave Athena the lead earlier in the half with his first goal of the season.
Kasm Shaibi connected on the equalizer for Gates with 25:24 remaining.
A First-Team All-County performer a year ago, Rice also started on the 2019 Trojans’ squad that reached the New York State Class A championship. The midfielder missed six games earlier in the season with an injury.
With Tuesday’s win, No. 16-seed Athena (3-14-0) advances to play the top-seeded Pittsford Sutherland Knights (13-1-2). Sutherland took both regular season meetings (6-1/3-1) between the Monroe County Division III rivals.
“We got nothing to lose,” Rice said. “We’re the 16-seed; they’re the one-seed. Go in and play our hardest game. See what happens.”
Sutherland will host Thursday’s game.
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