Nassau boys soccer heavyweights Oceanside, Uniondale battle to 1-1 draw
Spencer Roth #10 of Oceanside, left, finds room and scores a goal to give the Sailors a 1-0 lead in the second half of a Nassau County Conference AA boys soccer match against host Uniondale High School on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. The match ended in a 1-1 tie. Credit: James Escher
It should be no surprise that Oceanside and host Uniondale — the top two boys soccer teams in the Nassau Conference AA-I standings — treated their only regular-season meeting more like a heavyweight fight.
Both teams threw big punches, each scoring once in the second half. The result was a wildly-entertaining 1-1 draw on Friday.
While both teams accepted the decision, the players, coaches and fans all wanted just a little bit more.
"I have nothing left," said Oceanside coach Patrick Turk, who nearly lost his voice after the match. "This conference is absolutely nuts."
The top 10 teams in the 15-team league are separated by just nine points. Oceanside (7-1-3) remains in first place with 24 points. Uniondale (6-1-5) has 23 points for second place. (Baldwin has 22 points, Freeport has 20 and Westbury has 18 to round out the top 5).
After a back-and-forth scoreless first half in which both teams jabbed and counterpunched, the second half seemed like nothing but haymakers by both sides.
Oceanside’s Chris Evans sent a beautiful long ball over the Uniondale defense. Spencer Roth split a pair of Uniondale defenders and scored from in close to give the Sailors a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute.
"It was a great ball," said Roth, who leads Oceanside with six goals this season. "I was just fortunate and happy I got a chance to put it away."
But the goal didn’t put Uniondale away. In fact, it seemed to revitalize the Knights.
"We just wanted to get that goal back," Uniondale’s Kevin Villacis said. "We worked that much harder."
The Knights delivered a punch of their own when Michael Mendoza made a beautiful cross along the goal line that striker Villacis converted with 10 minutes left for the equalizer.
Both teams had chances late, but could not find the winner. Oceanside goalkeeper Scott Campuzano was solid with eight saves. Ronald Zavala (5) and Melvin Canales combined for eight saves for Uniondale.
The calendar might read early October, but the two Nassau powers played in a match worthy of a county final in November; at least that’s how Uniondale coach Cohen Nelson saw it.
"It certainly felt like a final," he said. "We’re the top two teams in the standings, and we both played like it."
Could he see his team playing Oceanside in the playoffs?
"I think so," Nelson said. "I’d really like the opportunity."
Nothing better than a rematch.
