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Cardinals Stun Maple Grove To Capture Section VI Class C Title

Randolph’s Kaleb Steward (6) celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal with 12:32 remaining in the Cardinals’ Section VI Class C final against Maple Grove on Friday in Tonawanda. P-J photo by Alex Shipherd

TONAWANDA — Randolph entered the Section VI Class C final against top-ranked Maple Grove riding an up-and-down season. The No. 3 Cardinals earned just one win through their first seven games, but were able to right the ship in the second half of the season thanks to some much-needed resiliency.

Why would Friday night have been any different?

After going down by a goal to the No. 1 seed in the closing minutes of the first half, the Cardinals (10-8-1) got on the board early in the second half off a penalty kick by Hayden Congdon — his first-ever varsity goal — before Kaleb Steward banged home a loose ball with 12:32 remaining to secure a 2-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Red Dragons (17-1).

“It was a good moment for us in Randolph,” coach Dave Levandowski. “This is our first outright title since 1989. It’s been 29 years since Randolph has been able to say they have had a sectional title. At the same time, I look over across and I see the jerseys and it brings me back to when I played (for Maple Grove). They are just great kids and I know all of their families. It was fun, it was a very respectable game, and it is a bummer that someone has to lose.”

In addition to recovering from a difficult start to the season and a one-goal deficit yesterday, the Cardinals were also forced to try and persevere through an 11-0 loss to Allegany-Limestone in their 12th contest of the year.

Randolph’s Hayden Congdon (13) takes a successful penalty kick while teammate's Ethan Shields (10) and Kaleb Steward (6) look on. P-J photo by Alex Shipherd

Following Friday night’s win, Levandowski hearkened back to the difficult moments that his team worked through following that defeat.

“It says a lot about the character of our guys after that 11-0 loss,” he said. “When they were doing sprints in the gym, they didn’t quit. That was the turnaround moment for our season. We lost to Ellicottville and then ripped off six in a row.”

The turnaround moment Friday night?

That came only after Caleb Foley was able to give Maple Grove a 1-0 lead with 3:31 to play in the opening period.

The Red Dragons threatened near the 18-yard box with a cross that looked to be headed out of danger by a waiting Randolph defender. That ball did not make it out of harm’s way, as Foley pounced on the open chance and struck a volley hard off the back bar to give his team the lead.

Randolph threatened shortly after getting into that hole, when Bryson Rozler smacked a try from 20 yards out that was kicked away by a dive from goaltender Sam Cummings.

“Sam Cummings is fantastic and he works hard for it,” Maple Grove coach Cara Abbey said. “He works so hard in the offseason to keep getting better and better, and he’s not done yet.”

Foley threatened on back-to-back chances following the start of the second, but it was with 30 minutes left to play that Randolph finally found its opening to pull back to even.

After Rozler drilled a shot that was turned away with another brilliant effort by Cummings, the play was ruled down on a handball inside the box, giving the Cardinals a chance to even the score.

Senior Hayden Congdon was chosen to do the deed, despite his lack of offensive production.

“We’ve been working on it for weeks. He cannot score in a game but he is stone cold when it comes to PKs,” Levandowski said. “He’s so calm, it’s just no problem with him.”

Congdon opted for a low-right finish that slid past Cummings, despite the Maple Grove goalkeeper making the right leap to his left.

Sensing a chance to take the lead, the Cardinals continued to push their offense in the following minutes. This time it was Steward who earned a shot at giving his team the lead, splitting two defenders for an open look before Cummings cut that chance off with a bold charge.

After the Red Dragons were unable to convert on a pair of free kicks, Steward got another shot at glory when a loose ball was left alone from 15 yards out.

The junior opted to take that chance in short order, striking a volley that deflected off a defender and past Cummings, who was frozen following the late change in direction.

“I kicked it and it deflected off one of their (defender’s) shoulders and curved inside the post,” Stewart said of his game-winner. “It felt amazing and after that I knew we would win because we were going to lock it down. We stood as one as a family.”

In addition to his strong play against Maple Grove’s potent offense, Randolph goaltender Jacob Bulich also provided his team with leadership through some rough going.

“As a leader and a captain this year he has stepped it up and gotten so much better,” Levandowski said of his keeper. “He’s played huge for us down the stretch. We’ve had six games and up until tonight we had shut out the last five teams.”

The Cardinals will now take on Section V’s champion in the Far West Regional at 7:30 p.m. next Friday night at Sweet Home High School.

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