One team is seeking its first sectional title in 17 years. The other is looking for its fourth in the last five years. Aquinas and Pittsford Sutherland will meet Friday for the 2023 Section V Class A championship. Here’s what you need to know:
No. 1 seed AQUINAS LI’L IRISH (16-0-2/Private-Parochial)
vs.
No. 2 seed PITTSFORD SUTHERLAND KNIGHTS (13-4-1/Monroe County Division III)
How they arrived here: Aquinas started sectionals with a 6-1 win over No. 8 seed Pittsford Mendon. The Li’l Irish then defeated No. 4 Wayne, 4-1, to clinch a spot in the finals. Pittsford Sutherland opened with a 6-0 victory over No. 7 seed Newark. The Knights then defeated No. 3 seed Honeoye Falls-Lima, 3-1.
Total goals scored: Aquinas (71), Pittsford Sutherland (51)
Total goals allowed: Aquinas (13), Pittsford Sutherland (15)
Trends: Aquinas has won three straight games. Pittsford Sutherland has rolled to 11 consecutive victories.
Previous meeting: Aquinas defeated Sutherland, 5-2 during the regular season.
Players to Watch for Aquinas: Micaiah Benjamin-Castle Jr. MF Eight assists, two goals; Nicola Costa Sr. F Six assists, five goals; LJ Gleason Jr. GK 96 saves, 1,474 minutes in goal; JB Leary Sr. F Nine goals, five assists; Ryan Lewin So. F Seven goals, one assist; Tin Tin Pasia So. F 11 goals, seven assists; Ali Shabani Sr. MF 19 assists, seven goals; Charlie Sorensen Sr. MF Six goals, three assists; Alfonso Vito Sr. F 20 goals, 11 assists; Carter Wegman Sr. D two goals, three assists.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM CHRISTOPHER CECERE.
Pittsford Sutherland: Naveen Bansal Jr. A Four goals, four assists; Zach Bennett Sr. A Nine assists, seven goals; Santiago Castillo Sr. MF Seven assists; Sam Fagan Jr. D Five assists, three goals; Will Hanford Sr. MF 15 goals, six assists; Steve Mihalitsas Jr. MF Eight goals, two assists; Nolan Petrone Jr. MF Four goals, one assist; Seth Rozen Sr. GK 68 saves, 1,228 minutes in goal; Jack Woods So. MF Six assists, four goals
Coaches: Josh Gleason (Aquinas), Sean Hopkins (Pittsford Sutherland)
History 101: Aquinas is seeking its eighth sectional title in program history and first since 2006. As a No. 4 seed, the Li’l Irish took down Pittsford Mendon, 1-0, for the Class A championship. Aquinas went on to win the state title with victories over Kenmore East (VI), Islip (XI) and Byram Hills (I). Pittsford Sutherland is making its fifth consecutive sectional finals appearance and ninth in the past 11 years. Sutherland is seeking its fourth block in that span. The Knights three-peated between 2019 and 2021 in Classes A2 (2019) and A (2020, 2021). Last season, Pittsford Sutherland advanced to the title game as the No. 4 seed before falling to Spencerport. The Knights are looking to win their 12th sectional championship in program history overall.
What they’re saying
Gleason: “Let’s keep doing what we have been doing say in and day out, trust our process. Nothing changes in our approach.”
Hopkins: “Aquinas is a really good team. They definitely got the best of us the first time. I don’t think we’re the same team as when we played them the first time. We figured a few things out. If you want to win, you got to beat the best. Right now, they’re the best. We’ll do our best to take them down.”
What’s next: The winner will face the Section VI champion in the New York State Class A Far West Regional.
Kickoff is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m. at Spencerport High School.
Ali Shibani is the next messi, best section 5 player in history