The top two seeds in Class A survived and advanced to the finals. It’s Monroe County Division III against Monroe County Division II for a championship block. Here’s the breakdown.
No. 1 seed PITTSFORD SUTHERLAND KNIGHTS (16-1-2/Monroe County Division III)
vs.
No. 2 seed CHURCHVILLE-CHILI SAINTS(14-2-2/Monroe County Division II).
How they got here: Pittsford Sutherland (No. 2 NYSSWA Class A) opened with a 4-0 win over No. 16 seed Greece Athena in the first round and advanced past No. 8 seed Spencerport, 3-1, in the quarterfinals before beating No. 4 Wayne in the semi-finals. Churchville-Chili (No. 11 NYSSWA Class A) opened with a 4-0 win over No. 15 seed Eastridge in the first round, defeated No. 10 seed Irondequoit, 1-0, in the quarterfinals and used overtime to get past No. 3 Greece Arcadia in the semi-finals.
Total goals scored: Pittsford Sutherland (47), Churchville-Chili (39)
Total goals allowed: Pittsford Sutherland (11), Churchville-Chili (13)
Last time they met: Pittsford Sutherland and Churchville-Chili played to a scoreless tie on October 2nd of this season.
Trends: Pittsford Sutherland has won six of seven games with four shutouts in that span. Churchville-Chili has won has won four straight and is undefeated in its past 14 games. The Saints have not allowed a goal in the post-season.
Players to Watch for Pittsford Sutherland: David Adeleke-Adedoyin Sr. D four goals, five assists; Will Field Sr. A 16 goals, four assists; Carter Kladstrup Sr. GK 63 saves, eight goals allowed, 1,456 minutes in goal; Henry Leahy Sr. MF five goals, five assists; Ryan Petrone Sr. MF six goals, five assists; Devon Rashid Jr. MF one goal, four assists; Henry Walbaum Sr. A eight goals, six assists.
Churchville-Chili: Moises Arendell Jr. MF five goals, two assists; Andrew Berardicurti So. A four goals, one assist; Cameron Burke Sr. D one goal; Gaven Egan Sr. MF nine goals, three assists; Nick Rippe Sr. A five goals, 18 assists; Brett Seaman Sr. D two goals, one assist; Jaden Tensley Sr. GK five goals allowed, 1,022 minutes in goal.
History 101: These two teams met in last year’s final with Sutherland coming out on top, 2-0. Sutherland is looking to win its third straight sectional title and fourth in the past five years. This will be the Knights seventh trip to the finals in nine years. Churchville is making its third trip to the finals in four years. The Saints are looking to win their first title since 1990.
Coaches: Sean Hopkins (Pittsford Sutherland), John Mahoney (Churchville-Chili)
What they’re saying
Hopkins: “We have played some great games with Churchville over the last few years, and I’m expecting another battle tomorrow night. We need to contain their midfield, limit their chances on the attack and defend tight. At the same time, we need to play our game, possess the ball and create as many scoring chances as we can and not always wait for the perfect shot. Looking forward to a great sectional final.”
Mahoney: “Our teams are so strong defensively that both teams will be given only a solid chance or two and then the key is who take advantage of that opportunity. Both of us are really strong in the midfield and also on D and in net. So again, it’s likely to be a tough go for both teams and just a battle of wills. Gaven Egan and Will Field are creative maestros and seeing if one or both impose themselves on this game will be interesting. They both have the ability to take over or just set up their teammates. This is an even game and expect it to be close.”
A 5:00 p.m. kickoff is scheduled Tuesday at Eastridge High School.
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