Photos and story by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
CANISTEO — The Canisteo Valley. It’s a place that has become incredibly hard to travel to and come out on top no matter the sport, in year’s past.
For the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, the proving grounds in Steuben County would give them a chance to turn things back around in the right direction following a tough loss to the hands of Houghton Academy earlier this week.
As for host Canisteo-Greenwood, they were looking to build off a tremendous deadlock against undefeated Avoca-Prattsburgh back on Wednesday.
Something had to give between both teams, when they collided in their make-up battle from the Tri-County Cup Tournament at the beginning of this month. The chances would mount against both teams, but through the majority of time played in the opening half, there was no score to share amongst them.
That was until the very end of the stanza.
With seven minutes left until the break, the Chargers found their rhythm and delivered a go-ahead haymaker against Cuba-Rushford. Led by a rush upfield from Nate Prete, he would eventually find Brendon Ackerman for the score — one that ultimately served as the game-winning blow, as Canisteo-Greenwood went on to punch down on the acceleration in the second half with four more goals, as the Chargers brought it all back to secure a 5-0 home blank of Cuba-Rushford.
Canisteo-Greenwood improved to 5-2-1 with the victory and take on rival Arkport-Canaseraga on Saturday at 7 pm. C-G started the season 4-0 and have shook off two losses to go 1-0-1 this week.
After a midfield battle for the loose ball erupted all throughout the opening half, the Chargers found their opening to exploit against the Rebels (3-3-1), using it in full behind Prete’s incredible lofting shot straight up the field for Ackerman to make a run to the goal, knocking it in for his first of two in the game, and a 1-0 lead going into the halftime recess.
The scoring didn’t stop there.
Three more scorers for Canisteo-Greenwood all got in on the fun, with Prete, Thomas Sirianni and Declan McAneney all netting a goal, along with Ackerman’s second of the game. All four of the second half goals for the Chargers came in rapid succession, stemming across a six-minute span to alter the course of history at the drop of a hat.
The five total markers that found the netting of the Cuba-Rushford cage, were supplied off 15 shots, as they snagged a 15-5 advantage against the Rebels. The win in goal was recorded by Kaden Mitchell, who made all five saves for the shutout. As for Caleb Elliott for Cuba-Rushford, the keeper made 10 saves.
