Jonathan Graziosi saves St. Anthony's in sudden-death round
Chaminade's Michael Tek, left, and St. Anthony's Junsei Ro battle for possession during the first half of the NSCHSAA Class AA final at Adelphi University on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. Credit: James Escher
What did you expect?
Even on a clear, calm, balmy night under a harvest moon, a one-goal game or draw between St. Anthony's and Chaminade is almost a foregone conclusion.
So on a rainy, windy night with temperatures barely above 40 degrees, goals were as rare as hatless, hoodless or umbrella-less patrons.
Despite the harsh conditions, though, Adelphi's Motamed Field was crowded Saturday night for the CHSAA boys soccer final between No. 1 Chaminade and No. 2 St. Anthony's.
The fans saw -- what else -- 90 tense minutes of scoreless play, then 20 minutes of scoreless overtime divided into two 10-minute sudden-death segments.
In the first two rounds of the shootout, each team converted four of five kicks. In the third round, which was sudden death, Jonathan Graziosi's diving stop gave St. Anthony's a 2-1 penalty-kick advantage.
By virtue of that slim margin, St. Anthony's advanced to next Saturday's CHSAA state semifinal game against the Buffalo Diocese representative at 7 p.m. at Adelphi.
The other semifinal, also at Adelphi at 5 p.m., will match the Archdiocese of New York representative against the Brooklyn/Queens Diocese.
It was the third straight year that the Friars (10-3-1) and Flyers (13-0-1) have played to ties in the CHSAA title game and, by league rule, been declared league co-champions. Based on penalty kicks, St. Anthony's went to the state tournament last year. Chaminade advanced in the same fashion in 2012.
This contest wasn't much different from the two regular-season meetings between the two traditional powers, except for the little matter of overtime and penalty kicks.
Both regular-season games were decided in regulation. On Sept. 23, Chaminade won, 1-0, on Brian Moran's goal in the seventh minute. On Oct. 16, Moran did it again, this time scoring the game-winner in the 65th minute of a 2-1 victory. He didn't get near the goal Saturday night.
St. Anthony's had better scoring chances in the first half and seemed to control the action. With 8:20 left, John Foley's header in front, off a cross from Quintin Volpe, went right to goalkeeper Yanni Rigos, who made 17 saves against the Friars in a spectacular performance on Sept. 23.
An even better opportunity presented itself in the closing seconds of the half when the Friars' T.J. Butzke, with time and room in front, fired it directly at Rigos, then pounded his hands in frustration.
In the second half, Chaminade had a rare good scoring opportunity in the 18th minute, with Graziosi making a tough save on Matt Vowinkel's header off a free kick feed from Dylan Dwyer.
Early in the first 10-minute overtime, Chaminade was awarded a free kick just outside the box, but James Brady's booming kick went right to Graziosi. That was the only shot on goal in the period.
In the fourth minute of the second overtime, Volpe got loose on the left wing, but his curling shot was fielded cleanly on a hop by Rigos.
There were no other shots on goal, and for a third straight year, the Friars and Flyers are co-champions of the CHSAA.
The Friars move on. The Flyers go home.
Cold and cruel? Perhaps, but then again, for one of these evenly matched teams, what did you expect?
