Smithtown West defeats Manhasset for Long Island Class AA title
Smithtown West midfielder John Savino, left, celebrates his goal against Manhasset in the Long Island Class AA boys soccer championship on Sunday at Patchogue-Medford. Credit: George A Faella
The Smithtown West players listened as the final seconds were counted off and then raced into each other’s arms around midfield. It was a celebration a long time in the making, one born in the despair of a Suffolk County final defeat in penalty kicks a year earlier.
The Bulls typically beat opponents with their size, strength and penchant for opportunity. They had some of that on Sunday as they faced Nassau champion Manhasset in the Long Island Class AA title game, but it took far more to pull out the 1-0 victory at Patchogue-Medford High.
“I’m grateful we get another day to practice together, another game to play,” senior John Savino said. “We felt a season like this was possible the moment last season ended. This is a special group.”
Manhasset put Smithtown West on the defensive for the final 25 minutes and the Bulls needed key plays from a slew of players to eke out the win and earn a spot in next weekend’s state semifinals. Smithtown West (14-0-2) meets Scarsdale of Section I on Saturday at Middletown High at 8:30 a.m.
The Island crown is the first for a Smithtown school since 2002, when East and West were a single entity.
Savino set the table for the victory with a goal in the 51st minute. He was advancing on the right side of midfield when a deflected ball came down in front of him. He took it in close and scored on a shot across the goalmouth. It was his fourth goal in four playoff games after missing the final four regular season games with an injury.
“I was hungry for his chance,” he said.
There was still the Manhasset onslaught – spearheaded by Luca Petruccelli and Luka Busljeta – to survive.
Senior goalkeeper Nick Kondenar made the most important of his six saves with 17:24 left on a rocket of a shot by Joseph Milazzo. Manhasset got two more excellent cracks at tying it in the late going, each coming in a flurry in front of the goal where the shots went where Kondenar wasn’t.
Senior back Sam Mastrangelo caught up with a ball right at the goalmouth and booted it away with 12:25 to play. Mastrangelo said, “at that moment it’s what you have to do to stay in front.”
And senior midfielder Jake Hutter laid out in front of a Manhasset shot about two minutes later. He said, “That’s a moment that can change the whole game – we had to make the plays.”
“They bailed Nick out, but Nick has been bailing everyone else out all season,” Bulls coach A.J. Gercke said. “Those plays were every bit as big as the goal. They score right there and they have a tie and momentum going into the final stretch.”
Manhasset (17-2-1) never relented, even replacing goalie Jared Beschel with a position player for the final six minutes.
“We had end-of-season meetings and getting back and winning a county title was what came out of every one of them,” Gercke said. “I didn’t let them make anything a goal until they’d won.”
It’s time for the Bulls to set their sights higher.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
