SECTION 4 BOYS' SOCCER: CAPILLI GOAL IN 2OT LIFTS ELMIRA TO 3RD STRAIGHT SECTIONAL TITLE (24 PHOTOS) (October 29, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — The Ithaca offense had been on the attack through much of the two overtime periods. 

The Little Red had 11 shots and 16 corner kicks in the game, but what the Elmira Express had was a strong defense, and a quick-strike counter attack. 

Nolan Kennedy got the ball and drew a foul, setting up a free kick by Dom Capilli 20 yards away from goal. 

Capilli hit a perfect strike on the ball, driving it to the far post and setting off a wild celebration as Elmira won their third straight sectional title, 2-1 over Ithaca in two overtimes. 

“I knew I had to end it,” Capilli said. “With the help of my teammates, it’s not one person’s job, every person on the pitch contributed. I just knew I had to bury it. I had to put it on frame and give our team a chance. Nolan Kennedy with a great foul to create the kick. It’s just crazy.

“I saw the goalie shifted over to one side, I knew I had to put it far post where he couldn’t reach it.”

Elmira coach Derek Hamilton was confident that Capilli would take a good shot.

“I knew Dom was going to put a good strike on it,” Hamilton said. “Really hard on a goalkeeper not being able to see the ball from that distance at the top of the 18. Dom put it on frame, bent it in and made it real hard on the goalkeeper.

“All over the pitch Dom is one of, if not the best, player in the conference. Shoutout to Chase Christian too. He’s an incredible leader in the back for us. He plays in the back, but he’s the first one to start the attack and the person players look to when things aren’t going good.”

It was Elmira that had struck first in the game at 28:30 of the first half as Dom Romeo headed in a corner kick by Kennedy.

The game stayed 1-0 until midway through the second half when Ithaca drew a foul in the box and the Little Red’s Benjamin Susskind converted the penalty kick to tie the game. 

“We talked about this at halftime, we are super comfortable playing with a one goal lead,” Hamilton said. “The last three years I think we are 16-4 in one-goal games. We find a way to win. We are super organized, we are hard to break down. It took a set piece to get one by us today. That back four, Ayvre (Traugott-Knoll), Chase (Christian), and Jackson (Teeter) and Cam (Riley) and Hunter (Grant) in goal are fantastic. It starts with the front to the back. They are all committed to defending.”

The defensive effort was something the whole team was proud of.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” Capilli said. “Every single person, the wingers tracking back, the center backs and the outside backs. It’s every single guys effort. Our defense has definitely been a strong point for us this year.”

For the players getting the win was special.

“It’s extremely exciting,” Capilli said. “These boys put in the work every single day. We put in the work and we came out on top. I”m proud of every single person on this team. We have been through challenges, but we persevered.”

Winning for the third straight year is something special for the Express. 

“I think two years ago we were the underdog going in, last year probably the favorites,” Hamilton said. “Ithaca is a class program, a class group of kids, a class coach. I don’t think we were the better team at all times tonight, but all that matters is the last result on the scoreboard and we came out on top.

“The past five years this team has won 50 games, 10 games a year is nothing to sneeze at. The three-peat is nice, if you told me we were going to three-peat a couple years ago I’d say we’d take one, or two, but the third one is nice.”

For the seniors it’s special to finish their career with another title. 

“I have been on this team since my freshman year and it’s been crazy,” Capilli said. “I knew I wanted to go out with a bang my senior year and we had to get this done.”

It was a magical night for all of Elmira soccer as the boys and girls both won titles. For Capilli he had the game-winner on a set piece for the boys, while his sister, Gianna, hit a shot on a set piece that went in off Hailey Hamilton for the game winner.

“What’s better than one Elmira team winning it,” Dom Capilli said. “It’s two. Proud of the girls too, they played a great game, and Elmira is taking both of them home today.”

It will be fun at home celebrating the titles with his sister.

“Definitely going to be fun, especially because my brother and sister came down from college, it’s going to be crazy,” Capilli said.

For Hamilton he gets to share the titles with his twin daughters, as Reiley and Hailey Hamilton scored the two goals in the girls’ 2-1 win.

“Just sharing it with the is incredible,” Hamilton said. “After the game they came up to me, they ran down, they were so excited to win their own sectional title, and they were even more excited for us. The camaraderie between not just our family, but the girls and boys in general, Zach Sarno, Adam Robinson, Pete Kamas, it’s just one big family between the boys and girls.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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