Tommy Wagner's goal gives Commack boys soccer win over Brentwood, perfect regular season
Commack's Tommy Wagner (11) heads the ball in the first half during the Suffolk boys soccer game between Commack and Brentwood on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Commack’s Tommy Wagner was all over the field against Brentwood on Thursday.
The only place he couldn’t be — the Commack net — was ably-manned by goalkeeper Dario Maricevic’.
Wagner came up top on a set piece from his center back position and scored the Cougars’ first goal in the sixth minute. The Stony Brook University-bound Maricevic’ made it stand and was the difference against a young, but dynamic Brentwood squad as host Commack earned a 2-0 win in a Suffolk League I boys soccer regular-season finale.
Commack (12-0, 11-0 Suffolk I) clinched the League I title outright in a rematch of the 2019 Suffolk AA final. Brentwood (10-2, 9-2) advanced in penalty kicks en route to a state title that season.
"This is huge," said Maricevic’, who had 15 saves, including two, key point-blank stops (one in each half). "All the graduating seniors [from last season] texted us and said to win it for them and win it for us."
That’s exactly what Commack did. The Cougars dominated the first half and struck early when Nikola Kovacevic’ sent a long throw-in into the box that reached Jackson Masters. The senior striker then sent a flick-on to Wagner, who headed in his third goal of the season. Wagner had a premonition of his efforts.
"I told [senior midfielder] John [Colombo]," Wagner said, "that I was going to score on a header about an hour before the game."
He delivered. He almost scored again about seven minutes later, but his goal was disallowed on an offsides call. Later, Maricevic’ made a huge stop from in close with 13 seconds left that kept the lead at 1-0.
Brentwood coach Ron Eden challenged his players at halftime, and they responded with an energetic start to the second half. They dominated play through the first 15 minutes of the half, but Maricevic’ kept Brentwood at bay with 15 saves and recorded his ninth shutout of the season.
Senior Jack Lagner gave Commack a two-goal cushion with a great individual effort, when he popped up after a clean tackle and found the back of the net with 25 minutes remaining on Masters’ second assist of the game.
"Their goalkeeper was the difference for me," Eden said. "He definitely was the difference today."
Commack coach Dave Moran played 20 players for the game, and cited Maricevic’ and the defense, including Wagner, Justin Salerno, Brandon Trent and Dillon Mortenson, as well as senior midfielder Matt Davacino, who gave the Cougars outstanding minutes in the match.
The two teams entered the game as close as can be. Both have had 14 players score goals this season. Also, both entered Thursday’s contest with a plus-27 goal differential.
Moran, an English teacher at Commack for 19 years, sent his team a text from Rudyard Kipling’s "The Jungle Book" which read: "The strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack."
"That quote goes back to our state championship season," said Moran, referring to the Cougars’ 2014 season when he was an assistant coach. "This was a great win over a quality Brentwood program, but we’re not done yet."
