Southold comes up just short in Class C regional final
Southold's Shayne Johnson reacts after missing a penalty kick in a shootout against Rhinebeck in the boys Southeast Regional Class C soccer championship on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Shayne Johnson and the rest of the Southold boys soccer team wanted to get an early start on the season.
So they started playing in February. Outdoors. In a skate park near the high school. In the bitter cold.
They call the rink the Blue Diamond.
"We played on ice," Johnson said, "because we knew if we really wanted it, we needed to start early and really work hard for it. We figured it would help get us here."
It did.
Southold (12-6) made it to a Class C regional final at Diamond in the Pines in Coram on Saturday. The First Settlers will not get any further, however.
Hudson Valley-Rhinebeck advanced on penalty kicks, 3-1, and will play Lansing Saturday in a state semifinal at Middletown High School.
The score was tied at 1 after two 15-minute golden-goal overtime periods.
"I thought we played the better game," said Johnson, a senior captain. "Until the very end, at least."
Rhinebeck's Laurence Graziano scored the game's first goal on a breakaway seven minutes into the second half.
Joseph Worysz tied it at 1 with a blast from 20 yards off an assist from Anderson Garcia with 17:33 left.
"We battled back and that will be what I'm most proud of about this team this year," Southold coach Andrew Sadowski said. "We never ever gave up on anything."
Southold goalie John Charles Funke (eight saves) made a great save on a point-blank shot by Alex Burg with 10 minutes left in regulation. One minute later, Funke robbed Ian Katomski with another pretty stop.
"I thought we [were] fabulous today," Sadowski said. "Our defense covered us against breakaways. I could not have asked them to play any better, any different or any harder."
What would you expect from a team that started playing soccer outside in the winter?
"I don't think anyone on our team should feel unsuccessful after this result," Johnson said. "There's still a big upside to all of this. We are still county champs and we still made it here."
