Ben Szemerenyi scores game-winner as Chaminade wins CHSAA state title
Chaminade's Benjamin Szemerenyi celebrates the only score of the game during the CHSAA state finals where Chaminade defeated Regis 1-0 at St. John's University in Queens, New York on Nov. 11, 2018. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
It was déjà vu for Chaminade’s Ben Szemerenyi.
The senior forward scored the game winning goal in Chaminade’s 1-0 win over Regis on Sunday to capture the title in the New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association for the second year in a row in Belson Stadium at St. John’s University.
Szemerenyi also scored the winning goal on a late corner kick to beat Regis in last year’s state championship, 2-1.
“He’s the guy in the right spot at the right time,” Chaminade coach Mike Gallagher said. “This time he scored on a play that we practice on all the time. It was beautiful.”
Szemerenyi scored the decisive goal with 8:01 left in the game. Senior forward Raffel Archury beat his man down the right side and drew the keeper to the near post. Archury then sent a perfect cross on an angle back to a streaking Szemerenyi, who one-timed a 6-yard shot to beat the keeper to the right.
It was the fourth consecutive state championship for the Flyers. And the eighth crown in the 20 years under the guidance of head coach Mike Gallagher.
Regis nearly took the lead midway through the second half but Chaminade’s senior keeper Andrew Hammersley, who made four total saves, denied the scoring threat.
Hammersley deflected a dead-on line drive from the top of the penalty area, about 18 yards out, with his right hand to knock the ball over the top of the crossbar and keep the game scoreless.
“It was going to be a goal and Andrew kept the game scoreless by making a great save,” Gallagher said. “He’s 6-foot-3 and needed all of that height to get that shot. He had it covered the whole way.”
Regis keeper Colin Freeman was equal to the task. Szemerenyi was taken down in the box and was awarded a penalty shot with 5:55 left. Brendan Slattery came on to take the shot and drilled the ball to the keeper’s right and Freeman batted it away.
“He hit it low and hard and the keeper made a great save,” Gallagher said.
Chaminade finished with an 18-6 record. The Flyers played four schools ranked in the top 10 in the nation during a grueling non-league schedule to get them ready for close games in the postseason.
“Every single game was very tough,” Gallagher said. “And it helped us in the end.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
