Messina's goal helps Lynbrook tie Valley Stream South
Valley Stream South's Jon Hernandez slide tackles the ball away from Lynbrook's Angelo Messina during their team's 1-1 tie. (Oct.11, 2010) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Zach Knight thought it was over. The Valley Stream South sophomore watched as teammate Shaquille Richards showed some fancy footwork, dribbling deftly around several Lynbrook defenders to get a good look at the goal with 6:10 left in the game.
"That was it," Knight said. "It was looking good."
The shot from 15 yards by Richards went wide right. Valley Stream South applied the pressure in the final 10 minutes but couldn't convert and tied Lynbrook, 1-1, Monday in a Nassau Conference VI boys soccer game at Lynbrook North Middle School.
"It's a good tie because they are ahead of us in the standings," Knight said. "To get a point was good."
The top four teams in the conference make the postseason and Valley Stream South (2-5-2, 2-3-2) has eight points to put them in fifth place, one point behind Glen Cove with five games left.
"We're battling for a playoff spot," Valley Stream South coach Richard Boyd said, "so on the road, considering we need points, we'll take the point. We played well enough to win. We were close. I'm proud of my team. We have only two seniors and we're getting better."
Lynbrook (5-3-1, 4-1-1) is tied for second with Bethpage, five points behind first-place Manhasset. Lynbrook lost to Manhasset, 2-1, last week.
"Any time you get a point it is important, but I think we let two points get away," Lynbrook coach Josh Berlin said. "We should be fighting for that league championship."
Valley Stream South struck quickly when Stanley Egbuchulum threaded a nice pass to Knight for a goal just 5:53 into the game.
"Stanley crossed the ball to me and I turned around and had a good shot that went in," Knight said.
Lynbrook tied it at 1 in the 17th minute. Angelo Messina blasted a direct kick into the right corner of the goal.
"I was trying to bend it to the far right because the goalie was in the middle," Messina said. "I was looking for the outside post and it went in."
David Li made six saves for Lynbrook and Evan Foley had four saves for Lynbrook.
"These are two evenly matched squads," Berlin said. "It's fitting it ended in a draw. It could have gone either way."
