Gabriel Feldman's OT goal gives Manhasset boys soccer the Nassau AA title
Gabriel Feldman of Manhasset races to the ball during the Nassau Class AA boys soccer final against Garden City on Thursday, November, 2 2023 in Farmingdale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Gabriel Feldman refused to let Manhasset lose.
Though No. 2 Manhasset may have been perceived as underdogs against previously unbeaten No. 1 Garden City, it felt like it had the better team.
Feldman proved that. Shortly into overtime, Feldman, who already had one goal on the night, had possession and used his speed to race past the physical Garden City defense. With 8:38 left in the first overtime period, the senior had only Garden City goalie Ian Pupke in sight, punching it past him and into the net for the winning goal.
“It’s a dream come true,” Feldman said. “We had all our fans here, [we] jumped in the crowd after. I mean, I’ve been thinking about this moment my entire life, and all the hard work just paid off.”
Feldman’s overtime goal, his second of the night, lifted Manhasset to the Nassau Class AA championship Thursday night at Farmingdale State, its first county title since 2000.
“I got to say, we did expect to win,” Manhasset coach Mark Giardino said. “We knew we were the better team.”
Manhasset will play Suffolk Class AA champion Smithtown West in the Long Island championship at 1 p.m. Sunday at Patchogue-Medford. Garden City finished 18-1.
“I just can’t think of a more deserving group to win this,” Giardino said. “ . . . The 10 years I’ve been coaching varsity, this is our first win against Garden City, and no better time than now.”
The first half presented numerous opportunities for both teams, though no goals were scored.
Feldman put Manhasset on the board first early in the second half, though, heading in a perfect corner kick by Luca Petruccelli with 38:48 remaining. Feldman scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season.
“Gabe has been doing it for us all year,” Giardino said.
Garden City tied the score at 1 with 19:25 left on a corner of its own, with Connor Griffin scoring and John Gibbons getting the assist.
In a chippy game that featured clutch goalkeeping — Pupke had six saves and Manhasset’s Jared Beschel had four saves — and eight yellow cards, Manhasset made enough timely plays to secure the crown.
“It means everything,” Feldman said. “Coach [Giardino], before the game he was talking to us about doing something the school’s never done before in [23] years. And we saw the banner before the game — empty. So now we get to put ‘23 and ‘county’ on top.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
