BRADFORD — Jason Deering hadn’t forgotten the feeling.

A year earlier, his New York boys Gold Team had rallied to tie it late before ultimately falling, 3-2, in the first shootout in NY/PA Corporate Cup Soccer Showcase history. As enjoyable as the game was, his squad, afterward, was “crushed.” Deering, back as head coach in 2025, didn’t want this year’s group to suffer the same heartbreak.

“I wanted them to enjoy being in this environment, having that experience,” said Deering, the Southwestern boys varsity coach, “and so one of the things that I was really stressing in practice was just … come out, show up, do exactly what you do to the best of your abilities and just have fun.

“Seriously, just have fun and make it a blast.”

Safe to say, the top New York boys roster did just that.

Owen Dougherty (Ellicottville) made it 1-0 on a penalty kick less than eight minutes in and the Empire State held much of the control while downing Pennsylvania, 3-1, in the ninth annual Corporate Cup Showcase on a hot, but beautiful Sunday evening at Pitt-Bradford’s Kessel Athletics Complex.

A YEAR AFTER needing a tally in the 84th minute to force overtime, New York left little doubt in this one: It scored early, answered a quick Pennsylvania equalizer midway through the first half to bring a 2-1 lead into the break and notched a coveted insurance goal with 10:40 remaining.

It also had a handful of opportunities to extend the lead in between.

New York produced a complete effort to snap Pennsylvania’s mini two-game win streak. And it was keyed by a complete lineup, featuring players from, among other strong programs, a Southwestern team that captured a sectional title last fall and an Allegany-Limestone group that advanced to the state final four.

“What we had for attack, those players fit my type of game,” Deering said, “and they just fit each other’s game, so they had extreme confidence. They felt they could get down through the defense at will, so they just kept asking me, just let them go.

“Kids like Cooper (Wilczewski, the reigning Big 30 Player of the Year) and Grey (Kidder, Southwestern), they’re made to ‘let’s get the ball, let’s get going, let’s run our attack. And players like Owen, when they can get out and get down the field and put stress on the back four, it’s tough. It’s what got those goals and those chances.”

DOWN 1-0 at 37:30, Aaron Bennett (St. Marys) scored just over five minutes later to knot it 1-1 for Pennsylvania. New York, however, regained the advantage on a Colin German (Portville) goal with 17:10 left in the half and maintained that cushion until the final stretch, when Aiden Cowburn — who had just played in an Olean Oilers playoff game on Friday night — made it 3-1 on a ball that deflected off a Pennsy defender.

New York kept Pennsylvania off the board for the final 77 minutes.

And for as good as its playmakers were, it was NY’s staunch defensive showing — led by its center backs and goalkeepers Gavin Haggerty (Wellsville) and Donovan Booker (Allegany-Limestone) — that “won us that game,” Deering said.

Center back Thomas Buffamante (Allegany-Limestone) was named New York’s MVP while Dougherty was cited with the Sportsmanship Award.

“They played fantastic,” Deering said of his center backs. “I think most of (Pennsylvania’s) chances were well outside the 18 other than maybe a couple. They couldn’t get through.

“I wanted co-MVPs because Ben Edwards (Ellicottville) and Tommy were absolutely fantastic and they shut them down. (PA’s) fantastic attack was totally shut down and it’s because of those two. Gian Perry (A-L) was in there too. … When we came into it, defense was gonna win the game, everything else was just show.”

PENNSYLVANIA, despite New York’s persistent attack, had its chances.

With 24 minutes left in the first half, Bennett put a shot off the crossbar. Midway through the second half, Pennsy just missed a header off a corner kick, and in the final few minutes, it pushed a free kick just over the crossbar that would have at least given it a chance in stoppage time. Then, too, PA’s Case Seymour (Eisenhower) made a pair of tremendous point-blank saves at different points of the second half to keep it a one-goal deficit. Seymour earned PA’s Sportsmanship Award winner while Jacob Alberts (DuBois) was named team MVP.

All throughout, however, New York, which now owns a 5-3 Corporate Cup series lead, was able to generate the offense it needed and keep Pennsylvania at bay.

And this time, after its crushing shootout loss last summer, Deering’s New York charges were able to experience the elation of lifting the impressive trophy that goes to the Gold Game winner.

“It’s awesome,” said Deering, who also highlighted “creative, dynamic up-front players like Zander Parsons (A-L), Ty Oste (Maple Grove) and Cowburn. “That’s an awesome looking trophy.”

Of the game itself, he added: “This is a great event for soccer. I wish more people … I think they know about it, (but) I want this to be celebrated more because this is our top-quality high school players coming out and playing in it. It’s a fantastic event; they put so much work into being at this level.

“I wish more people would come out because it’s a good show.”