Boys Soccer Eliminated in Heartbreaker

The Syosset boys soccer team played their hearts out on a chilly Wednesday night in the class AA quarterfinals, but the No. 12 seeded Braves came up just short, falling at No. 4 Farmingdale 1-0 in double overtime. 

Though the game ended scoreless in regulation and through the first overtime, both teams had a number of scoring chances. With 12 minutes left in the first half, Farmingdale's Fabricio Bustillo had a great chance to score on a breakaway, but Syosset goalie James Solon made a terrific save to keep it scoreless. 

Solon was one of the main reasons Syosset was able to stay in the game for so long. With just 4:56 remaining in regulation, a free-kick by Farmingdale's Victor Montano was stopped by his diving attempt. Another chance for the Dalers to score minutes earlier saw their shot hit the top crossbar, literally missing a goal by inches. The same thing happened for them in the first overtime at 6:30, as you could start to sense the frustration from both sidelines as well as the crowd.

The Braves had some scoring chances as well. Though their defense and Solon played great, they could never quite put it all together on offense. Before they could figure things out it was too late as Bustillo found teammate Fernando Cortez in the open field, and Cortez would dump the ball past the left side of Solon, sending the Dalers to the next round of the playoffs and the Braves home. 

Hero: For the Braves, it was Solon. He finished with six saves in the game, the biggest being the diving stop at 4:56. The game-winning goal was certainly not his doing, as it was well out of his reach.  

Turning Point: In the second overtime when Austin Wertheimer's shot hit the crossbar. After that, the Dalers could smell the back of the net, and would ultimately find it minutes later. 

Quotable:  "We went out and put our hearts out there," said Solon, whose team  "It was just unfortunate how it ended, he [Cortez] sneaked it right in there. We'll just have to come out next year and be ready."

Key Stat: The game went more than 100 minutes before the game-winner was scored by Cortez. 

Boys Soccer Class AA Quarterfinals

Team                         1            2        OT1    OT2--F

Syosset  ...........0......0.....0.......0 -- 0

Farmingdale.....0......0.....0.......1 -- 1

F - Cortez (Bustillo assist)