As the Trojans senior attempted to drive a shot at the East Aurora goal, it was denied by a Blue Devils defender.

Even with mere seconds remaining in a 4-0 victory, East Aurora refused to give up a goal.

It was that kind of a night for the Trojans.

Lucas Jamesson scored a pair of early goals and the Blue Devils defense had an answer for every Southwestern attack as East Aurora eliminated the Trojans from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B tournament.

Southwestern’s Connor Young settles down a ball with his chest while East Aurora’s Noah Wasner pursues him. P-J photo by Tim Frank

“It’s frustration, it’s disappointment,” Southwestern head coach Jason Deering said postgame. “We really felt we were going to come in and play a better game. It didn’t happen.”

Next up for the Blue Devils, the state’s defending Class B champions, is a noon Saturday Far West Regional date with Section V champion Hornell at Geneseo High School.

“I’m happy for this group to get this burden off their shoulders. … New players came in and built a trust amongst each other,” said 28-year East Aurora head coach Kevin Beale, who tied longtime Lancaster head coach Joe Adamec for the Western New York boys soccer coaching record with his 436th career win. “We just want to take a nice trip to Rochester Saturday and see if we can take a trip to Middletown.”

Southwestern’s season ends with a 17-3-0 record and a Class B2 sectional crown, the fourth in program history.

“We didn’t do everything that we were prepared to do,” Deering said. “They played good defense against us. We were just not completing those last passes.”

Southwestern’s Gavin Ternullo makes a pass while being defended by East Aurora’s Nicky Carl in the Section VI Class B crossover game on Tuesday at West Seneca West High School. P-J photo by Tim Frank

The Trojans were in the attacking end of the field for much of the opening five minutes, but East Aurora capitalized on its first opportunity as Jamesson scored out of a scrum off a corner kick to make it 1-0 in the fourth minute.

“The kids did what we needed to do to get on the board,” Beale said. “We want to be strong in the box and we were.”

Jamesson made it 2-0 just minutes later when he took a cross from Nicky Carl and took a shot that glanced off the left goal post before going along the goal line and in near the right post.

East Aurora, which lost six starters from last year’s Class B state championship team, including All-American Amar Culov, New York’s Gatorade Player of the Year, made it difficult all evening for Southwestern, which could not penetrate the Blue Devils’ back line.

“I’m so happy for our seniors who didn’t play a second last year: Ty Daly, Carter Hill and Jacob Holko,” Beale said. “Carter Hill and Jacob Holko came in to play a key role in the center back position, playing these attackers that we played the last two games, and we haven’t given up anything.”

The Trojans’ Wilson Genareo hit a crossbar in the 18th minute and Southwestern came up empty on back-to-back corner kicks in the 26th minute before East Aurora scored a deflating third goal.

“We couldn’t finish our opportunities,” Deering said.

Owen Mack was taken down inside the Trojans’ 18-yard box and Kai Sendziak, who was selected to take the penalty kick, scored to Southwestern keeper Cooper Charles’ left in the 35th minute.

Just over two minutes later, Mack headed home a corner kick served into the box by Bronson Besant as the Blue Devils reached the final margin in the opening 37 minutes.

“It’s bounces and it’s being lit up and ready for whatever on those corners,” Deering said of the Blue Devils’ success on set pieces. “We talked about how dangerous they are. That’s what champions do, they are going to play defense and score on set pieces.”

While East Aurora’s season could continue for possibly three more games, this season and the careers of Trojans seniors Young, Vaughn, Judd Harris, Chase Hartnett, Grey Kidder, Nolan Lefler, Bergen Nelson, Isac Pope, Anthony Pratt and Gavin Ternullo came to an end in the crossover game for the second straight season.