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Complete Effort

Jamestown CC Dominates Erie CC In 4-0 Shutout

Jamestown Community College’s Axel Richardson attempts to dribble past Erie CC’s Rexford Anim (10) during Tuesday’s NJCAA Division III Region 3 District B quarterfinal at Falconer’s Bill Race Field. P-J photos by Matt Spielman

FALCONER — Jamestown Community College men’s soccer coach Pat Anderson recognizes that there are four or five teams in Region 3 that deserve to be ranked nationally.

Now the Jayhawks will have a chance to prove they belong in that group.

No. 6 Jamestown CC cruised to a 4-0 shutout victory over No. 11 Erie CC in an NJCAA Division III Region 3 District B quarterfinal played Tuesday evening at Falconer High School’s Bill Race Field.

The Jayhawks’ next matchup will likely prove to be much more difficult.

On Thursday, Genesee CC — the No. 7 team in the nation according to the latest poll — will welcome Anderson and his troops to Batavia for a 3 p.m. District B semifinal.

The Jayhawks’ Jesse Da Costa heads a ball in front of the Kats’ Tristen Russell (7).

“Genesee is as technically good of a team that there is any place in the country and they have a lot of talent,” Anderson said. “We played them pretty well last time we were up there and the game got away from us a little bit in the second half. … We should have a really good opportunity to go up there and give them everything they want.”

To a man, the Jayhawks feel like they can compete with the Cougars, who won the teams’ only matchup 5-0 earlier this month.

“I think we’re good enough as long as we put 90 (minutes) in,” freshman Axel Richardson said. “We’ve struggled to put 90 together, it’s usually been 60, 70 or 80. If we put 90 together against a good team like Genesee, we’ll compete.”

“As long as we show up and compete how we know we can for that full 90, anything is possible,” sophomore goalkeeper Jakob Moore said, ” … especially with this group in the playoffs.”

On Tuesday, Jamestown CC made the Kats play from behind early as sophomore Dan Mattock took a short throw-in along the sideline and sent a cross into the box that was headed home by freshman Jesse Da Costa in the sixth minute for a 1-0 lead.

“We’ve lacked the first 15 minutes of most games this season,” Richardson said. “To get that early goal was just the little nudge we needed.”

“There’s a certain nervousness that goes into any game when it’s a win-or-go-home game,” Anderson added. “If you can get that early score and settle yourself down a little bit, it’s going to always be to your advantage.”

Erie CC put forth its best offensive pressure midway through the first half and eventually was rewarded with a corner kick in the 28th minute. The attempt was sent into the 18-yard box and nearly glanced into the Jayhawks’ net for an own goal, but Moore made his best save of the night, leaping to his left to deflect the chance to safety.

With just over a minute remaining in the half, Jamestown CC struck again. Richardson sent a 40-yard free kick over the first line of defense near the 18-yard line, and sophomore Michael Andalora somehow got lost behind the Kats’ defense in front of their goaltender to head the ball into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

“Michael is the ultimate team guy. Statistics mean almost nothing to him,” Anderson said. ” … Even though he hasn’t scored a lot, he’s always the high-energy guy. … He played the whole 90.”

The Jayhawks controlled play after the break and eventually built upon their lead late as Erie CC pushed forward looking for offense.

Sophomore Tyler West cranked a shot off the goal post in the 74th minute and then Richardson wowed the hundred-plus in the crowd in the 77th minute as he took a pass from Samuel Visbal Navarro and found plenty of space in the middle of the field. Dribbling nearly 20 yards toward the Erie CC 18-yard box, Richardson found some room and unleased a rocket of a shot that found the top corner of the Kats’ net for a 3-0 lead.

“I was a bit lacking in options and the goal was sort of staring me in the face,” Richardson said. “I just thought ‘Have a pop,’ and sure enough, top corner.”

“I can’t remember the last time I saw that much open space in front of a guy,” Anderson said. “I knew when he got toward the middle that was just going to tee it up.

“His accuracy,” Anderson added, “if you are going to let him pick his spot is going to be awfully good.”

“We’ve got some really good weapons on the offensive end,” Moore said. “It’s almost like as soon as one of them scores, it just becomes a bit of frenzy.”

West then tapped one past Erie CC’s reserve goalkeeper in the 88th minute as the Jayhawks were already well on their way to a matchup with Genesee CC.

“If they did top-20, we’d be in the top-20,” Anderson said. “To make that top-10 and make that next jump, we’re still going to have to elevate our play one more level.”

NOTES: Other Region 3 teams included in the national rankings include No. 2 Herkimer College and No. 5 Mohawk Valley CC while Onondaga CC fell from No. 9 to “Others Receiving Votes” just this week. … The other District B semifinal will be SUNY Broome vs. Mohawk Valley CC. … In District A, Herkimer will take on North Country CC while Onondaga CC and Cayuga CC will make up the other semifinal.

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