Canton breaks through, away to Class B Soccer title
Oct. 30—CANTON — Defending champion Salmon River reached the Section 10 Class B title game at SUNY Potsdam, on Saturday, as the third seed with a 2-0 upset win over second seeded OFA.
Thirty-three minutes into Saturday's championship game, the Shamrocks had top seeded Canton, featuring two school record-setting scorers, locked in a scoreless tie.
But just as they did in their 9-1 semi-final win over Gouverneur, the Golden Bears broke lose with Ethan Francey scoring a natural hat trick to raise his school record to 34 and Ryan Jones passed out two assists to raise his school record to 33 and also scored the Bears' fourth goal in the final seven minutes of the first half and then set up Tommi Husinec for the only goal of the second half in a 5-0 victory.
The win advanced the Bears into the regional championship of the state tournament on Saturday against a midweek matchup between the Section 7 (Northeaster Clinton) and Section 2 (Mechanicville) champions. The winner of that game will host the regional finals.
In the Girls Class B finals Salmon River blanked Potsdam 2-0 and St. Lawrence Central and Brushton-Moira split in the Class C finals. The B-M Boys won 3-1 and the SLC Girls prevaled 4-0.
"We you have two dominant players like we have it is just tough to defend them both. This team is as good as that I have coached and I think we are going to very tough in the states," said Canton Coach Matt Caufield.
Francey opened the scoring on Saturday by taking a pass from Jones while crossing the top of the penalty area and drilling a shot past SR goalie Xavier Delorme. Frances scored two minutes later by heading home a crossing pass from Husinec. Francey completed his hat trick two minutes later by controlling a pass from Jones and hammering a shot which bounded off a defender darted into the net.
Dan Creuer provided a pass to Jones which allowed him to tee up a shot from outside the 18 yardlie and buring a shot.
Husinec scored 13 minutes in the second half from Jones and the with reserves from both sides rotating into the game the Bears' went post a shutout where Jackson Ames and Zadock Roiger stopping just two shots. Delorme finished with 11 saves in goal for Salmon River.
