By PAUL GOTHAM
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — In the waning moments of Friday night’s New York State Class AA regional, Cody Cavuoto had space between himself and the nearest defender inside the opposing 18-yard box.
The senior attacker lined up a left-footed attempt for a potential game winner.
Then the leading scorer of the Hilton boys’ soccer team heard a voice.
And that he didn’t doubt the speaker is all that mattered.
Ian Fediuk found the back of the net in the 77th minute, and the Cadets clinched a spot in the New York State Class AA semi-finals with a 1-nil victory over Williamsville-North.
“I call him the ‘textbook,'” Hilton head coach Mike Ellicott said of Fediuk. “He is the textbook way to strike a ball. In practice, he puts the ball in the back of the net like that all the time.”
Fediuk tucked a right-footed strike inside the left post.
“I’ve been waiting for that,” Fediuk said with a smile. “On the right wing, Cody got it. I said ‘leave it’ and hit it top left.”
The senior midfielder’s fourth goal of the season came right on time for Hilton.
“He took his moment,” Ellicott said. “He’s not the most chatty kid. Cody said ‘I turned and I’m about to hit it.’ The next thing I know we’re celebrating with the fans.”
Cavuoto scored the game winner in Hilton’s sectional semi-final win over Penfield. Five days later, the senior attacker ran his season total to 23 goals when he connected on both tallies in the Cadets’ 2-0 victory over Fairport in Tuesday’s sectional championship.
On Friday night, he deferred without hesitation.
76’ GOAL Ian Fediuk connects! @HiltonSoccer 1-0 pic.twitter.com/Siq4nSOUKJ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 6, 2021
“That tells you exactly what you need to know about our group,” Ellicott said. “They have an incredible amount of respect for each other. Not one of them is too good for anyone else, and that’s why we’re here.”
Hilton played the contest without starting center back Anthony Inglese, a game day scratch due to a non-Covid related illness.
“That completely changed our whole team,” Ellicott noted. “It’s scary how much that changed us. There were moments when we were hanging on, and there were moments when we had an element of panic in our game which we haven’t seen before.”
Despite Inglese’s absence, Hilton (No. 6 NYSSWA Class AA) held off Williamsville-North (No. 2 NYSSWA Class AA) in the opening moments of the second half as the Spartans pushed seven players forward on the attack.
“It was fun to see them grind it out,” Ellicott said of his squad. “They (Williamsville-North) played their game, and we didn’t play our game. We didn’t really establish our game. We just didn’t get into a rhythm.”
The win clinched Hilton’s third trip in program history to the state semi-finals having reached the final four in 2015 and in 1987 when the Cadets won the NYS Class A title.
“As the game went on, we realized there was a way to beat this team,” Ellicott said.
The Cadets will play the Corning-Painted Post (IV) vs. Mamaroneck (I) winner in next Saturday’s semi-final. An 11:15 AM kickoff is scheduled.
The trip has added meaning to Fediuk.
“I got a ticket to Middletown. I got family down there. Most of my family is down there. I haven’t seen them in a long time. I get to see them which is nice.”
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