CHITTENANGO – Christian Brothers Academy has featured some great boys soccer teams in its history, and the 2022 edition has an opportunity to rank at or near the top of the list.
In three games on the way to the Section III Class A championship, the Brothers did not allow a goal and scored 17 of them, capped Saturday by its 3-0 victory over New Hartford in the title game at Chittenango High School.
Senior Connor Morgia, who scored twice in the final, said his team was driven all year by the memory of last year’s sectional semifinal defeat to East Syracuse Minoa.
“When we got beat last year, it was bad, so it’s great to be on top,” he said.
It was another group of Spartans, from New Hartford, that provided the opposition after it had knocked off ESM 3-2 in the semifinals earlier in the week, but it didn’t take long for CBA to assume control.
In fact, just 2:35 had elapsed when Santiago Betancourt-Trompa, working in the right corner, sent a cross to the middle that, in one quick motion, Sravan Kodali put into the net.
The Brothers’ second scoring chance turned into a second goal at the 6:26 mark. Juliuz Pichardokmp’s free kick was mishandled by New Hartford goalie Cooper Borelli and Morgia, right next to the net, fired home the rebound.
Morgia said those early goals took off a lot of pressure and allowed the Brothers to remain calm despite New Hartford’s physical mode of play – one that sent senior Andrew Kohlbrenner to the sidelines midway through the first half.
It also helped the Brothers to have a strong, consistent defense centered around goalie Finn Wheeler, who said his job is made a lot easier by the quartet in front of him.
Rico Petrosillo, Tom Leskoske, Zack Mulhern and Aidan Duggan constantly had to worry about runs from New Hartford’s forwards, but turned back most of them, so Wheeler rarely had to make stressful stops.
Just 21 seconds into the second half, the margin grew to three as, off a New Hartford turnover, Morgia, from the point 30 yards out, drilled a hard shot into the left side of the net.
And it would stay there, CBA earning a spot in the state Class A tournament as the program seeks a third state title to go with those it earned in 1996 and 1997.
CBA meets Section X’s Massena in the regional round next Wednesday at Potsdam High School, needing to win here, and in the regional final two days later, to reach the Nov. 12-13 state final four in Middletown.
Both Morgia and Wheeler said the team’s depth and work ethic have fueled the Brothers’ success so far and must continue over the next couple of weeks.
“If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, our team has the capability to go far,” said Wheeler.
