East Hampton boys soccer team two wins from state championship

The sign remains hanging up in the locker room. Everyone first heard it from Nick West.

It says this in all capital letters: "The goal should not be the championship. That should be the dream. The goal should be to play together as long as possible."

It was signed by West on Nov. 6, 2013. It was typed out and posted soon thereafter by his coach, Rich King.

"The quote originated from my brother's college team," said West, who will play for Messiah College, the same school his brother Brandon plays for now, next season. "I wanted to make a list of goals and that was one of them."

The East Hampton boys soccer team rallied around that quote from West, the Bonackers senior midfielder, after it lost in the county semis last season.

And here it is today still standing. Two wins away from a state championship.

West and East Hampton (17-1-2), which is coming off the first Long Island Class A title in program history, is preparing to take on Jamesville-DeWitt (14-6-2) at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Middletown High School.

"You can't take one person off our roster and say we'd have the same amount of success," West said. "We're not shocked to be at this stage. We put ourselves above the individual and made the guy next to us a better player."

And that's why the Bonackers are still playing. Nick Tulp, East Hampton's senior goalkeeper, isn't surprised.

"We expected to do it and we did get it done," Tulp said. "It's been one more week of being together and now going up this weekend. That's been a goal since last year."

The Bonackers, who have won three Suffolk titles in four seasons, seek to contain Jamesville-DeWitt's "quick, attacking players on the outside," King said.

Forward Tyler Lichtenstein, Jamesville-Dewitt's leading scorer with 11 goals, is at the top of the scouting report, as is forward Jordan VanStry.

Tulp is well aware of their scoring ability.

"It comes down to staying in the moment and keeping everyone on the same page," Tulp said. "We're just approaching it as another game, another team we play. Rise to the occasion."

Two games left and primed to get it done. That's the Bonackers' motto heading upstate. King's on board.

"We're excited. We can't wait to get on the bus [Friday] morning," King said. "Get a good meal in and then get ready to enjoy the day."

If East Hampton wins, it will play the winner of Byram Hills-Greece Athena game in the state final at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The early Saturday start gives the Bonackers a chance to see those two teams play right after East Hampton's game against Jamesville-DeWitt.

"We welcome that start," King said. "The more rest before the final game, the better."

All the more rest just to keep playing.

East Hampton's road to the state Final Four

Regular season: 14-1-2

Suffolk A semis (Nov. 3): Beat Amityville, 3-0

Suffolk A final (Nov. 7): Beat Comsewogue, 1-0

Long Island championship (Nov. 9): Beat South Side, 2-1 (2 OTs)