Less than two miles separate the schools that will battle for a sectional title Tuesday night. McQuaid Jesuit and Brighton will determine the fate of the Section V Class AA Boys’ championship at Eastridge High School. Here’s what you need to know:
No. 1 seed McQUAID JESUIT KNIGHTS (15-0-2/Rochester City Athletic Conference) vs. No. 6 seed BRIGHTON BRUINS (8-8-2/Monroe County Division I)
How they got here: McQuaid (No. 6 NYSSWA Class AA) opened sectionals with a 7-0 win over No. 8 seed World of Inquiry/Edison/Franklin/SOTA and outlasted No. 4 Hilton, 1-0 in the semifinals. Brighton upended No. 3 seed Penfield 1-0 in the quarterfinals before eliminating No. 2 Fairport on PKs (6-5).
Total goals scored: McQuaid (67), Brighton (28)
Total goals allowed: McQuaid (3), Brighton (37)
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM DENNIS JOYCE HERE.
Trends: McQuaid has outscored its last seven opponents by a combined total of 39-2. Brighton has won five of seven games entering Tuesday’s championship.
Players to watch for McQuaid: Trey Leo Sr. D four goals, five assists; Sam Leone Fr. M three goals, four assists; Kevin Miller So. A 10 goals, two assists; Casey Montesano Sr. A 11 goals, three assists; Andrew O’Neill Sr. A 12 goals, eight assists; Marco Pilato Sr. M two goals, 11 assists; Niyen Ruffin Sr. GK 1,1172 minutes played, four goals allowed; Jacob Sevene Sr. M eight goals, 11 assist; Colin Shanahan Sr. A four goals, six assists.
Brighton: Chase Alexandre Sr. M 18 goals, four assists; Clay Arnold Jr. Center Back, two assists; Daniel Barraclough-Tan Sr. M three goals, one assist; Troy McPherson Sr. GK 861 minutes played, 12 goals allowed; Matthew Piccone Jr. Center Back four assists; Adrian Storozynsky Sr. A three assists; Isaac Wing Jr. M three goals, two assists;
Coaches: Nino Pilato (McQuaid), Adam Hiller (Brighton)
History 101: McQuaid is seeking its third sectional title under eighth-year head coach Nino Pilato and fifth in program history. The Jesuit Knights shared the 2019 championship with Fairport. Brighton, the 2018 Class A champ, returned to AA this season for the first time since 2006. The Bruins have won 10 sectional titles in program history including three since 2011 under head coach Adam Hiller.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM CHRIS CECERE HERE.
What they’re saying
Pilato: “One of the keys for us is winning the 50/50 battles. Limiting mistakes is obviously huge. Sometimes when two good teams are playing, it’s the one that makes the least amount of mistakes that wins.”
Hiller: “The difference is going to be defensive shape and avoiding big mistakes.”
What’s next: The winner will face Clarence (VI/17-1-1) in the New York State Class AA Far West Regional.
Kickoff is scheduled for Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. at Eastridge High School.
Leave a Reply