BY BRIAN FEESSouthern Tier Sports Report
WAVERLY — As Ithaca’s goalie dove to make a save on the penalty kick by Elmira’s Dom Capilli, the Express forwarded raced toward the loose ball and followed up his penalty kick by burying the shot to put Elmira up in the Section IV, Class AAA final.
That goal was a perfect example of the determination the Express showed all game long.
“Just the determination, I don’t think overall we had our best game as far as playing good, technical soccer, but we are tactically aware. We have a good coaching staff with Gavin Wise and Steve Mastronardi who help us put game plans together,” Elmira coach Derek Hamilton said. “We had two and a half weeks just to prepare watching Ithaca on film. We settled on a game plan and the kids followed it to a T. I think it’s exciting to watch the implement what we put into place.
“Don’t quit. Dom could have, the save was made, he could have put his head down, but he kept going. Same with the third goal too. We hit the bar twice, we couldn’t get it in and the kids just continued their run and finished it. Those are the goals that win you games.”
After a scoreless first 35 minutes, Capilli scored on the rebound off the PK at 4:33 of the first half.
“I had it all under control, I knew what I was doing,” Capilli said. “I was on it, I was dialed in for today’s game. I knew I was putting it away. I knew what was happening.”
While the Express added two second-half goals, the defense was dominant again led by Sean Hanrahan in goal recording the shutout.
“We were talking, big communication, we were on everyone, talking,” Hanrahan said of the defense.”
“We are a very defensive tea, when we get a lead we don’t give it up,” Capilli said. “That’s one thing I love, we always bring energy, we don’t lose the ball.”
Kaelan Brenen-Buseck scored at 32:17 in the second half to put Elmira up 2-0 and Hayden Rolls capped the scoring in the final minutes off a Chase Smith assist.
“Incredible,” Hamilton said. sectional championships are exciting enough and they are important enough, but when you do it with a group like this who we have had forever, who we care about outside the soccer game is super, super special. The past 10 years we have known we would be in this type of opportunity, not necessarily winning a sectional championship but having a good team, and for the to follow through and accomplish all the goals they set out to accomplish is very special not only for them but for me as well.”
It’s back-to-back titles for the Express.
“It’s funny, we were talking about it as a coaching staff,” Hamilton said. “Last year we lost to Corning twice and Ithaca twice and I don’t think anyone thought we were going to come through and win the sectional title and this year we were probably the favorites going into sectionals. We wear both hats, and it’s exciting to play from the underdog standpoint and the favorite standpoint.”
The Express players were confident going into the game.
“We knew we were going to do it, we had a great squad, we have been practicing,” Capilli said.
The Express were able to keep the shutout all game, even as the fog made things tougher in the second half.
“Balls coming at me, I could barely see a hting, but we got it done,” Hanrahan said.
The fog was really thick in front of the Ithaca goal for the Elmira forwards
“It was crazy, I was doing my best up there, it was hard to see,” Capilli said.
Winning with this group is pretty special for the players.
“Some of us have been playing together since we were little kids.”
Now it’s onto the regional final, back at Waverly against the Section 2 runner-up at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8.
“It’s a great stadium, I love to play here again,’ Hanrahan said. “We just have got to stop that team. Last year we slowed down a little bit, this year we’ll come back.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:
