MacArthur's #4 Joey Mahoney celebrates a goal with teammate #13...

MacArthur's #4 Joey Mahoney celebrates a goal with teammate #13 James Eden in a win over Friends Academy on Oct. 12, 2022. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy

Darkness had almost engulfed the Friends Academy turf and the boys soccer players on it Wednesday when the officials called the game with 2:44 left for safety reasons. But MacArthur was safely in control at that point.

If the Generals can win their last regular-season game Friday at home against Bellmore JFK, they will take final control of the Nassau A East race, too.

First-place MacArthur scored three goals in a span of 4:04 in the second half — including two in 49 seconds by Joey Mahoney — on the way to a 4-0 win. Tyler Behr made three saves to post the shutout.

Coach Andy Atkins still wasn’t totally pleased.

“We’re an interesting team,” Atkins said. “I really still haven’t figured us out. I want to get everybody playing great on the same day, and that hasn’t happened.” 

But they are 9-1-1 overall and 9-1-0 in the conference.

MacArthur leads the points race, 27-23, over Plainedge, which has 1 1/2 games left. 

The Red Devils play at home vs. Glen Cove Friday. They already lead Friends Academy, 1-0, in a game that was previously suspended at halftime due to bad weather. It will be resumed at Friends Saturday. 

The Quakers (6-3-2, 4-3-2) need a win or a tie in that game or Friday at Mepham to finish at least .500 and qualify for the Nassau A playoffs.

“We’ve got to get something,” coach Edgar Posada said. “It’s doable.”

His team fell behind 1-0 7:53 into the game when Austen Roth beat goalkeeper Julian Good after taking the first of James Eden’s two assists.

MacArthur doubled the lead with 20:03 remaining. Kieran Weber served a corner kick into the box. The ball was deflected and Mahoney pushed it into the net.

Good, who made seven saves, left with a leg cramp. Center back Edwin Saravia had left earlier with the same problem. Mahoney scored against backup keeper Charles Lizza to make it 3-0.

“Just being at the right spot at the right time,” Mahoney said of his two goals.

Good then returned. But Weber capped the scoring from long range. The senior midfielder was part of a conference winner that exited in the first round last season.

“We know how it felt to lose that,” Weber said, “and we want to make a difference this year.”

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