Aquinas captures boys soccer state title over Byram Hills with thrilling double overtime goal
If John Leary is the type of person who will look back at the good ole' days of his senior year of high school, he might start with his final games as a soccer player at Aquinas.
Leary scored the game-winning goal Saturday that delivered a 3-2 win in double overtime over Byram Hills, a state championship to the Section V champion and the final touches of an undefeated season for Aquinas, the No. 1 ranked Class A team in the state.
It was Leary who scored the goal during the 1-0 win for Aquinas over Westhill during the state semifinals, also at Middletown High.
Leary's goal with 10:46 remaining in the second 15-minute overtime period, sent Aquinas players and coaches away happy after the team lost a 2-0 lead to Byram Hills in the second half of regulation.
A corner kick was punched away from the net by the Byram Hills goalkeeper, then the ball was run down by and sent back on an arc toward the net by Aquinas players.
That kick landed on the head of Pascal Pasia, bounced off of Leary, who followed the ball as it bounced off the Byram Hills goalkeeper.
Aquinas began to build its first lead with 14:20 remaining in the first half.
Pascia was sent a good ball that bounced off the turf and over his head. He stopped the ball briefly to lose a Byram Hills defender, dribbled back toward the middle of the field and took about a 20-yard high shot in between two defenders with his left foot.
There were 31:05 minutes remaining in regulation when Nicola Costa put a spot-on crossing pass by Pascia into the net.
Byram Hills began its surge with 21:50 to go, when Billy Gillespie scored on a free kick. The Bobcats were back even on the scoreboard 4:35 later, after an apparent tying goal Chris Amenedo was wiped out by a player who was caught offsides about a minute or two earlier.
Amenedo was ready again, when Jack Canter spun a direct kick from near the sidelines and toward the center of the box in front of Aquinas goalie Joshua Gleason.
Boys soccer: Section V scores for 2023 season
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Boys soccer: Aquinas captures state title with thrilling overtime goal
