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Playing their best

Jamestown rolls to Class AAA final with first clean sheet

BUFFALO -- Through its first 17 games this season, Jamestown had yet to record a clean sheet.

The Red & Green picked a great time for their first.

Senior goalkeeper Ben Brown was credited with nine saves thanks in large part to a stout back line consisting of seniors Caden Wahl and Aaden Howard, and junior William Schnars, as No. 3 Jamestown shut out No. 2 Hutch Tech/Culinary Arts/Emerson 3-0 in a Section VI Class AAA boys soccer semifinal Monday evening at Riverside High School's Charles Dingboom Field.

"I knew that we could do this. We talked about it all week," Jamestown head coach Bonnie Schnars said. "We've been taking things one game at a time, but this year we knew we could take Hutch Tech. They definitely were a lot more aggressive than we were, but I think we were the better team out there tonight."

Beckett Lumia scored twice and Dominick Jones added a goal for the Red & Green, who will take on No. 1 Lancaster in the sectional final at noon Saturday at West Seneca West High School.

"We've lost to Lancaster before. They are scary, for sure," Wahl said. "After doing this, I feel like we can do anything right now."

Jamestown survived a high-pressure and sometimes chaotic opening 10-15 minutes before settling into its game midway through the first half Monday.

Lumia created his own free kick in the 38th minute as he dribbled into the final third of the Hutch Tech end of the field and drew a foul. Then, from about 23 yards, the junior found a gap to the right of the Hutch Tech wall and scored just inside the near post for a 1-0 lead.

"Beckett is pretty good at those free kicks," Schnars said. "He knows what he's doing."

That score remained through halftime.

Hutch Tech opened the second half with another push, but was unable to solve the Red & Green defense.

"If I step up, I know that someone is behind me. At this point in the season, I don't think we even have to say a word to each other," Wahl said. "If I step up I've got somebody behind me. If they step up, I'm filling in for them. There is so much trust."

With just over 17 minutes remaining and the Engineers pushing for a tying goal, Jamestown created a little breathing room when Tyjai Goodlow sent a long ball into the Hutch Tech end of the field that was run on to by Jones, who beat a defender and eventually scored past the Hutch Tech keeper for a 2-0 lead.

"We've had a lot of conversations about late games where we've given up goals in the last 10 or 15 minutes," Schnars said. "We've been working on that and talking about it, and how to close out a game playing long balls into the corners and getting it out of our end."

The Engineers thought they broke through with less than 16 minutes remaining when Rinat Sayfulayev sent a free kick into the Jamestown 18-yard box and it was headed home by Yuel Nguse, but the play was blown dead when it was determined that Nguse was offside on the play.

"Aaden, William and Caden the last couple of games have just been solid. We started the game with three defenders back there and then we had Tyjai drop in," Schnars said. " ... They hardly ever come out of the game. They are definitely our saving grace back there. Their speed is pretty unmatched."

While Brown was only credited with nine saves in the game, at least three of them came in a four-minute stretch starting with about 11 minutes remaining.

"He does a really good job. What I like about Ben is that he's aggressive coming out and he's not afraid of anything," Schnars said. "He's an unlikely goalie. He has the skill and the instinct. He's done a great job for us. I'm proud of him."

With just over two minutes left, when most teams would be sitting on the lead trying to run out the clock, Jamestown's Joseph Armeli saw an opportunity on a throw-in near midfield and put it over a Hutch Tech defender's head before Lumia used his speed to create a mini breakaway and touch the ball just passed the Hutch Tech keeper for a 3-0 lead to effectively seal the victory.

"We've given up a lot of 2-0 leads. If there is anything we've learned this season it's that nothing is safe," Wahl said. "Time was winding down and that third one felt great."

Jamestown's defense will have to be up to the task again Saturday when they take on the 11-time sectional champion Legends, who beat Niagara Falls 5-0 in Monday's other semifinal. Lancaster, which has won all three sectional titles since New York state went to a six-class system, beat Jamestown 4-0 in last year's championship game.

"I can't wait for Saturday. Lancaster has been in the finals several times," Schnars said. "I think they are beatable this year."