By: Zach Harnischfeger
HONEOYE FALLS, N.Y. – The Kendall Eagles and Genesee Valley-Belfast clashed in the Section V Class C2 championship on Saturday afternoon. Both teams entered the matchup on impressive winning streaks. Two early goals and dominant defense powered the Eagles to a 3-1 win and their first championship since 1998.
"I told them in the first five minutes I wanted a goal today," Kendall head coach Rich Esposito said. "We always preach first five, last five. We got one early in the first five, and then Pablo banged another one in right towards the end with just about five to go. These boys played their butts off today and I couldn't be more proud."
Kendall didn't waste any time as three minutes into the game forward Pablo Rosario-Reyes found the back of the net in the left corner to give the Eagles the early 1-0 lead. This was his 25th goal of the season.
"I love it, he shows a lot of passion on the field," Kendall Forward Colby Hughes said. "He brings us up. He is always working hard and always trying his best. I love the energy he brings to the team and all the goals. He is a big aspect of our team."
At the 32:24 mark in the first half, Hughes scored a goal to extend the Eagles lead to 2-0. This was Hughes' seventh goal of the season. The Kendall defense shut down the Genesee Valley-Belfast offense for most of the first half.
"I saw him bring it to the corner and the field kind of opened up at the top of the 18," Hughes said. "I was yelling for it back, back, back like we work on in practice and I got my chance. I saw the defender coming had to hit a shot fake but I had to finish my chance there left foot."
Genesee Valley-Belfast cut the deficit in half after Evan Turybury was able to sneak one by Kendall goalie Jonathan Conte on a header at the 10:56 mark in the first half. This made it a 2-1 game.
With 5:22 remaining in the first half, Rosario-Reyes netted his second goal of the game, sneaking it just inside the left post after a back-footed behind-the-back pass by teammate Jonathan Esposito, to extend the Kendall lead to 3-1.
There were no goals scored in the second half as both teams exchanged many scoring chances but were unable to capitalize on them.
Coach Esposito is glad to bring a championship back to Kendall after a 28-year title drought.
"Kendall is a little community, and soccer is kind of what we live for out there," Esposito said. "To see the hard work that these boys put in finally pay off means everything."
Moving forward, Hughes knows that the team has to take it one game at a time to reach their ultimate goal.
"We have to work hard every single day and leave everything out on the field," Hughes said. "All we have to do is take it one game at a time and keep on moving forward."
Kendall extends their winning streak to 11 straight and will take on the East Rochester Bombers in the NYS Class C Far West regional qualifier on Wednesday.
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