Adam Astarita nets pair in win for 8-0 Glenn
Glenn's Adam Astarita #5 celebrates his first goal of a game at Center Moriches High School on Monday. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Glenn faced its toughest test of the young season Monday evening in a match the Knights had been eagerly anticipating.
For Adam Astarita and his teammates, it was worth the wait.
Astarita had two goals and an assist to lead Glenn to a 4-0 win at Center Moriches in a Suffolk VI boys soccer match. The win against the reigning Class B state champions improves the Knights’ record to 6-0 in league play and 8-0 overall.
Joe Randazzo and Joe Salerno also scored for Glenn, which allowed only a single shot on goal.
“This was one we were looking at on our schedule,” said Astarita, a midfielder with 12 goals and five assists this year. “We’re rolling right now and this was a big one for us.”
“We were just waiting for this day to finally get here and play them,” Salerno said. “Last year, we lost to them twice so this game really meant a lot.”
The Knights have totaled 29 goals and conceded just two, and its strength throughout the field was evident Monday, when the backline shut down the Red Devils’ attack and their midfield controlled play.
“We knew we had to play quick and get it to our three forwards, who all played really well today,” Astarita said.
Randazzo opened the scoring with a strike that followed a throw-in in the 27th minute and Astarita doubled the lead just four minutes later off an assist from Nico Faretta. Faretta’s runs down the flanks troubled Center Moriches (4-2) throughout the match, and fellow forward Julian Castellanos also was a key part of the Glenn attack.
The Knights added to their lead in style in the second half when Astarita turned provider and found Salerno, who blasted a shot into the top left corner in the 46th minute.
“Adam was dribbling down and I thought he was going to take it himself, but I screamed to him ‘play me,’” Salerno said. “He played me right across and I hit it as hard as I could. In practice, I score those a lot, so it felt good to have one in a game.”
Not to be outdone, Astarita scored again on a rocket of his own and his strike from about 20 yards out off a pass from Nick Weiss capped the scoring in the 79th minute.
“I think we have a good shot of winning the league title after this,” Salerno said. “This one is going to be huge for us.”
