Stanley Louis rediscovers scoring touch in Amityville's state semifinal victory
Amityville's Stanley Louis celebrates with Alan Funez after his second goal against Spencerport during a Class A semifinal at the NYSPHSAA Boys Soccer Championships in Central Valley, N.Y., Saturday. Credit: Adrian Kraus
CENTRAL VALLEY, N.Y. — Amityville’s vanishing man has reappeared and his timing couldn’t be better.
Stanley Louis entered this boys soccer season poised for a breakout senior year. The forward’s role had been adjusted slightly with an eye toward more scoring. Asked how many goals he thought he might score when it started, he replied “maybe 15,” but when the regular season closed he’d totaled three.
After struggling to pick up the beat, he finally has in this postseason. On Saturday he scored pair of goals — both on assists from Roberth Perez — as Amityville dominated Spencerport for a 3-0 state Class A semifinal win at Monroe-Woodbury High. He has three goals in two state tournament games.
One year after falling in the state title game, Amityville (19-1-1) returns to it Sunday to face Beacon at 1 p.m. at Middletown's Faller Field. It will be going for its third state crown and first since 2018.
“Last year we said we’d win it all, but there was a (sliver) of doubt,” Perez said. “No one has any doubts this year.”
Louis turned a Perez pass into a shot that went in off the crossbar with 10:13 left in the first half. The second score, with 26:18 to play, was even prettier with Perez’ pass finding him right in front of the goal. Horace Hibbert headed in a rebound for the other goal with 1:15 to play.
On the few scoring chances Spencerport (16-5-1) got, Amityville didn’t look great but back Keven Acosta made some big plays in the goalmouth to ward off the Rangers.
“He is so underrated,” Amityville coach Mike Abbondondolo said. “You need guys like Keven if you’re going to win a championship.”
There was so much skilled passing on the offensive end of this win by Perez, Hugo Rodriguez, Alan Funez, Louis, Hibbert and John Arango that it looked at times like Amityville was toying with the Rangers.
“We were very good, but have to be much better in a championship game,” Abbondondolo said.
Louis attributed his season-long funk to needing to adjust. Abbondondolo said that without quickly getting results, “he started over-thinking everything.” In a win-or-go-home postseason, there isn’t that much room to think and Louis has played more freely.
“Even in this game (the coaching staff) was telling me there is no more time to be hesitating on the field and so I went on attack,” Louis said.
While Louis struggled, Perez and Rodriguez became one of Long Island’s premiere 1-2 scoring punches. Now that Louis is back, Amityville has a team-of-destiny look.
“To only score three goals, I was disappointed,” Louis said of his regular season. “I am capable and now I am playing like it in big games. The disappointment is less.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
