Spencerport boys clinch spot in state semis

Defense and Balanced Scoring Lead Rangers Past Niagara-Wheatfield

By PETER MANCUSO

SPENCERPORT, N.Y. — Scouting the New York State Boys’ Class A Far West regional, two players jumped off the stat sheet – Spencerport’s Kyle Milburn, with his school career record 44 goals and 106 points, and Niagara-Wheatlfield’s Vinnie DiBello, who had recorded over 70 percent of his teams goals this season (34 thus far). Both players didn’t disappoint the crowd, but they weren’t the only players to star on this night at Ranger Stadium.

Spencerport got goals from four different players, two in each half, as the Rangers’ offense was cooking throughout the game en route to a 4-1 victory over Niagara-Wheatfield (VI).

But it was the Falcons who put together some early scoring chances, testing Rangers goalkeeper Jack DiStaffen at the onset.

Niagara-Wheatfield’s Troy Hassen chipped a shot in on goal during the 8^th minute that DiStaffen caught and then DiBello rifled a shot wide in the 9^th minute and the game remained scoreless. The Falcons earned a corner kick in the 10^th minute of play and once again sent a shot wide.

Spencerport followed soon after with its best scoring chances of the game to that point as Connor West denied Milburn in the 12^th minute with a great save and then controlled the ensuing Rangers corner kick, catching a soft header placed into the goalie box. Two minutes later, Spencerport’s John Choate just missed connecting on a volley off a corner kick and the game stayed scoreless heading into the second part of the first half.

Joey Weaver, the Rangers assist leader thus far this season, dialed up another at 15:11 of the first half, sending a corner kick into the goalie box and finding teammate Josiah Warrington on the other end for the game’s first goal and a 1-0 Spencerport lead. It was Warrington’s sixth goal on the season.

The Spencerport defense continued to key on DiBello, marking him tight and limiting his chances.

“He likes to turn people, use his body and be physical,” explained Spencerport defender Andrew Wiebeld. “We had to stand him up and couldn’t let him dribble past one player and then also get past another … we had good pressure and helped one another all night.”

And help they did. Wiebeld, Choate, Frank Grad and Jack Keady, the core group of Spencerport defenders in front of DiStaffen were solid all night and helped create a number of scoring chances on the counter attack as well.

“We shut him down very well … the second person was right there to help clean it up if he got past the first defender,” remarked Keady. He and DiBello saw so much of each other during the match they probably exchanged Instagram handles. “We play defense as a team … and whoever is needed to step up and make a tackle or play, we are confident in one another.”

Spencerport also plays offense as a team and after the Rangers thwarted a few potential scoring chances by the Falcons late in the half, they did just that. Wiebeld drove a ball into the Niagara-Wheatfield box from nearly 40 yards out and as teammate Andrew Moss attempted to redirect it into the goal, the ball sailed past both Moss and Falcons goalkeeper West and found the back of the net, giving Spencerport a 2-0 lead with less than a minute to go in the first half. Spencerport came into the game 14-0 when scoring two goals or more and they reached that mark after the first 40 minutes of play.

The Rangers came out strong in the second half and created a few more quality scoring chances. Grad stole an errant Falcons pass and fired a shot on goal a few minutes in and shortly after that Milburn was stymied by West again, this time from about eight yards out.

As the first ten minutes of the second half ticked away, Spencerport appeared to be in control until DiBello struck for his 35^th of the season. A few quick passes at midfield by Niagara-Wheatfield and DiBello found himself with the ball in a potential scoring spot and didn’t miss, finding the top left corner of the net with his shot. It marked the 15^th time this season he has scored at least one goal in a game and it cut Spencerport’s lead in half with 29 minutes left in the match.

The Falcons continued to feed DiBello with passes and DiStaffen had to come up big again, stopping a scoring chance in the 63^rd minute of game as he smothered a long pass on goal to DiBello. DiStaffen and the Rangers defense continued to play stout defense and counter attack.

Keady noted, “We trust our midfielders and our offensive players to get on the end of our passes from the back … we know if we play a ball near them they will challenge for those 50/50 balls and play it forward.” That strategy worked well all game and kept the ball in Spencerport’s possession much of the night.

After a free kick by the Weaver with just under nine minutes remaining in the game, the Spencerport senior regained possession and lofted a gem of a left-footed pass to a breaking Zach Tortora and beat West to regain Spencerport’s two goal lead. It was freshman Tortora’s four goal of the year and Weaver’s second assist on the night.

DiBello and the Falcons did not give up and minutes later DiStaffen would make yet another save on a DiBello shot on goal. DiStaffen finished with a number of quality saves as he and his defense would hold Niagara-Wheatland, a team averaging nearly three goals a game, to just one on the night.

Spencerport sealed the game in the 78^th minute with its fourth goal of the night after a free kick played down the sideline into the corner created a direct kick for Spencerport. The Rangers played the direct kick to the top of the box where Milburn found teammate Justice Hinman with a nifty pass and Hinman buried the shot into the goal. It marked the ninth straight game that Milburn has recorded at least one point.

“The boys have really bought into the team concept and that starts at the top,” explained a happy Spencerport coach Jody Wyant. “We have team players everywhere in the lineup and they all just want to win. Kyle (Milburn) is a great player … but if we lose the other night, he could have cared less about the record. He just wants to win and he wants his team to win.”

Spencerport has been winning. They closed the regular season with a four-game winning streak including a 2-1 victory over a very good and highly ranked Fairport team, which gave the Rangers a lot of positive momentum heading into sectionals.

“The biggest thing we have been telling the boys is accountability … coaches hold the players accountable … the players hold each other accountable and the players hold the coaches accountable,” Wyant remarked.

So far so good. In just his fourth year at the helm of the boys’ varsity program, Wyant and his staff led the squad to a 13^th title in program history and a spot in the NYSPHSAA Class A Boys’ Soccer final four. The Rangers will take on the winner of Glen Grove (VIII) and Amityville Memorial (XI). Glen Grove is ranked 10^th in the state with an 11-3-3 record, while Amityville Memorial is No. 3 at 15-1-1 and looking to reach the state finals for a second straight year after finishing runner-up 2021.

Spencerport will be making its third trip to the state semifinals in program history. The Rangers also advanced in 1978 (the inaugural state tournament) and in 1979. Spencerport lost both times in the semifinals.

Rangers Soccer NOTES:

-Spencerport is one of four Far West Regional schools to have both its boys’ and girls’ soccer teams earn a spot in the state regionals … the others are Clarence, Lewiston-Porter, and Ellicottville

-All four Spencerport players who were recognized as a Section Five Class A All-Tournament team selection (Kyle Milburn, Justice Hinman, Joey Weaver and Andrew Wiebeld) notched at least one point in the Far West Regional match; Wiebeld’s dad, Tim, earned All-County, All-Greater Rochester and All-State honors as the Rangers goalkeeper in 1987.

*Article was updated to include Spencerport’s appearance in the 1978 state tournament.