10-23-08 @St. Dominic 7-0 W

Senior midfielder Karl Rumph cuts through traffic.

BY JASON MOLINET

When you are a nationally-ranked team, keeping the edge that got you there can be difficult. The St. Anthony’s boys soccer team can only play the schedule before them, and on Thursday it was an overmatched St. Dominic.

Alex Naples had so little to do that even the game official took note. He arbitrarily stopped the game late in the first half Thursday to let St. Anthony’s coaches replace Naples in goal.

The Friars had already built a 7-0 lead over St. Dominic in a Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA mismatch. With a mandate not to score in the second half, and with all 24 players on the roster getting time on the field, that’s how it remained.

Seven was enough. Senior midfielder Edward Curry scored twice in the first 18 minutes, opening a 1-0 lead with a header just four minutes in. In fact, he ran toward midfield his arms in the air as if signaling a touchdown. Prophetic.

Adam Weinzimmer made it 2-0. Then came another goal by Curry. Greg Mallia extended the lead to 4-0 in the 21st minute. Brian Recureo, Nick Masotto and Chris Durant capped off the offensive onslaught.

“We’re just a strong group,’’ said Curry, who started the season in the backfield and had just one goal until Thursday, “from the one sophomore to the juniors and seniors.’’

Understandably, Naples had little to do. The senior did manage two saves, but St. Dominic couldn’t muster a sustained attack, even on its home field in Oyster Bay.

St. Doms keeper Chris Piccadela wasn’t half bad. But with the Friars constantly on his side of the field, the shots came early and often. It could have been worse. Much worse.

The net result was another impressive win for the Friars, ranked third in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. St. Anthony’s (15-0-1) wraps up the regular season Saturday 1:30 p.m. at St. John the Baptist. It’s the fourth game in five days for St. Anthony’s.

It was a notable win for another reason. Coach Gene Buonaiuto recorded his 285th career win. Buonaiuto is 285-92-29 in 24 seasons. He’s enjoying the ride, calling this perhaps his deepest team.

The playoffs are fast approaching. The Friars have clinched the top seed and will host a semifinal game on Tuesday. That’s when this group of Friars gets measured against the ghosts of seasons past.