LIVONIA, N.Y. — For the second time this season, the boys’ soccer teams from Hornell and Livonia faced each other.
Chances are Monday’s matchup won’t be the last meeting between these Class B1 contenders.
Jack Emo’s finish in the 71st minute was the difference as Hornell avenged an earlier loss with a 2-1 victory over host Livonia.
“It feels good,” Emo said after the win.
The junior midfielder won a battle in the air and nodded in a free kick from teammate Liam Khork as the Red Raiders (10-1-0) won their ninth straight game.
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“I hoped and prayed that he’d get it over to my head and there it went,” Emo said of the game winner. “I went at it with my head and it went in.”
71’ Jack Emo with a nod to give Hornell a 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/dqz10BPoN0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 4, 2022
Khork played a service from the right wing that glanced off the shoulder of a defender and floated to Emo who found the back of the net for his team-leading 16th goal of the season.
The game winner came after Livonia rallied to level the match earlier in the half.
“I knew we’d come together again,” Emo said of Hornell’s late-game response. “They always come back harder. It’s always about who retaliates better.”
Livonia defeated Hornell, 2-0 when the Livingston County AA rivals met on September 6th. Keegan Dennis and Austin Francis scored a goal apiece to pace the Bulldogs’ offense that night.
“They brought a little bit more intensity than we did that night,” Hornell head coach Jim Tobin said. “I think our boys matched it or were more intense tonight. You got two really good teams, two good skilled teams. This could have gone either way, and the game at Hornell could have gone either way.”
Shawn Rose staked Hornell to an early lead Monday night when he nodded in a Wyatt Argentieri cross. Argentieri made a 30-yard rush along the left side and cut the ball back from the end line to Rose running the middle third of the field.
16’ Hornell strikes first. Wyatt Argentieri makes the rush along left wing to set up Shawn Rose for the nod. pic.twitter.com/BOAPr5hZIe
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 3, 2022
It looked like Livonia would tie the game late in the first half, but a penalty kick attempt sailed just over the crossbar.
Jackson McEnerney delivered the equalizer less than five minutes into the second half.
“That was a hard-fought battle both ways,” Tobin said. “Pretty much how I thought it would be. They’ve got a helluva team, and I guess we got a helluva team. It was a great game.”
45’ Jackson McEnerney gets the equalizer. Hornell 1 Livonia 1 pic.twitter.com/WIjtOp6ri7
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 3, 2022
Livonia (11-1-0) came into the game ranked third in NYSSWA Class B. Hornell, the reigning Section V Class B1 champs, has yet to appear in the state rankings this year.
“I don’t know what else the boys need to do to catch anybody’s attention. When these guys are No. 3 and deservedly so, we should be somewhere in there, but I guess that will all work out.”
With the win, Hornell moved ahead of Livonia for the top spot in Class B1.
“I have a sneaky feeling we’ll probably be hooking up with these guys in a couple, three weeks,” Tobin said.
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