11-9-08 State CHSAA Final 4-1 W

Mission accomplished.

BY JASON MOLINET

There wasn’t an overflow of emotion, just the simple satisfaction of a job well done. The St. Anthony’s boys soccer team wrapped up an unbeaten and historic season on Sunday with a dominating 4-1 victory over Queens power Molloy in the state CHSAA title game.

As the St. Anthony’s starters – by now on the bench – jogged onto the turf field at Adelphi in Garden City once the clock drained to zero, a few enterprising players grabbed the water bucket and emptied it on assistant coach Don Correo. There were broad smiles and hugs, but hardly the explosion of emotion you might expect.

Each player calmly accepted championship medallions and when the team plaque was handed out to longtime coach Gene Buonaiuto, the players coolly assembled around him and posed for pictures.

This season was hardly preordained – everyone had high hopes, but who knew? – yet the Friars took to the role of champion with a comfortable familiarity. This marks the second title in program history and the second in four years. The truth is this year will be long remembered.

“This is probably my best team,’’ said Buonaiuto, who improved to 290-92-29 in 24 seasons as coach. “They have the best record.’’

These Friars (21-0-1), ranked second in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, also have the most recognition. Every bit of it was earned.

“You don’t get any better than winning a state championship,’’ junior defender Tyler Botte said.

The game was won in the midfield and by unsung heroes such as Botte. Midfielders such as senior Keith Jecewiz controlled the tempo and pushed the ball around the field, making opponents chase and react. And on the few occasions a forward broke through, the defense went to work.

It was much the same against Molloy. Friars senior goalkeeper Alex Naples was hardly tested, although he did surrender his fifth goal of the year with 7:17 left and the Friars sitting on a 3-0 lead.

But the game was all but over by then.

Senior midfielder Mike Valencia, two days after a two-assist effort in a semifinal win over Buffalo-Nichols, struck first against Molloy. He was taken down in the box just 4:03 into the title game and earned a penalty kick. Valencia went right and buried the ball in the back of the net for a 1-0 St. Anthony’s lead.

Senior Greg Mallia’s goal just before intermission made it 2-0. Sophomore Henry Tirado put in another goal off a rebound with 18 minutes left. Senior Chris Durant made it 4-1.

The bench might have been sky-high by that point, except for the fact that winning has been such an everyday feat for these Friars. Well, there’s nothing standing between these Friars and greatness now; no one else to conquer. Enjoy it.

Boys Cross Country: Buckley Rankings

The Kevin Buckley Rankings
CHSAA Cross Country Team Rankings

The Buckley Rankings (City Champs Edition)

A. The first set of rankings come directly from “Tullyrunners Speed Ratings” (combining top two performances by the runner); each runner then gets a placing based on the numbers (runners beyond 7th athlete are displaced…all those Chaminade, St.Anthony’s & Farrell runners who are better than your 4th & 5th guy; if “back scorers” did not get a speed rating, I added 10 points for the next scorer, and 20 points for last scorer (if there is no 4th scorer with a ranking)(if you can somegow figure out this byzantine scoring method
than we can move on.org)

B. The next set of rankings is based on my biases and handicapping predictions (this is from the same man who predicted Dewey over Truman, and Mitt Romney)(my last winner at the racetrack was Bucephalus, owned, trained and ridden by Alexander the Great)

A. Tully Runners/Buckley Nonsense:
1. Chaminade (68)
2. St.Anthony’s (79)
3. Monsignor Farrell (117)
4. Fordham Prep (178)
5. St.Peter’s (179)
6. Kellenberg Memorial (180)
7. Bishop Ford (182)
8. Holy Trinity (194)
9. St.Joseph by the Sea (244)
10.Iona Prep (254)

B. Buckley Predictions: (if I were a betting man and these were my wagers)

1.St.Anthony’s (3-1)…the odds are good for a possible upset; lost to Chaminade in
NS Sectionals, but the pre-season favorites have enough talent to breakthrough here;
$100 to win on the Friars at 3-1 (they have a better chance than John McCain)

2.Chaminade (1-2)…odds-on logical favorite, but you won’t get rich betting on them;
Coach Carriero should have gotten the Republican nomination for the job he did thusfar
this season (”Bill” would have done better in the swing states than McCain and carries
less “baggage” than both candidates)

3.Monsignor Farrell…(12-1)…they have to finish 3rd; great balance, but not enough punch
to win this; need a nor’easter to move beyond this spot; Coach Cuffe, our future Treasury
Secretary in the Obama Administration, will not be happy about this

4.Fordham Prep (all other teams are listed in “the field” at 25-1, this is a sucker’s bet, for
nobody else has a remote chance of winning…sorry)…major disappointment of the year,
but they invariably run very well at this meet

5.Kellenberg Memorial…I must back my own team to qualify for the State Meet; the
Firebirds appear rejuvenated and angry after abyssmal showing last week; if top three
are in the top 20, then Firebirds can make it

6.Holy Trinity…why not as high as 4th???; if break up Kellenberg’s top three, they will
beat my #5; have run very well, with lesser talent, in this race in recent years

7.Bishop Ford…seen working out on back hills on Saturday; top 2 get very low numbers,
other scorers are suspect (”round up the usual suspects”)

8.Iona Prep…coming on, but I just think it is too much to ask for in this team effort;
obviously, the Tully speed ratings do not reflect the quality of the Gaels; why can’t they
even beat Fordham Prep?

9.St.Peter’s…individuals post good times at various meets, but never on the same day;
if put it all together next Saturday, outcome can be different than this prediction

10.St. Joseph by the Sea…can beat a couple of teams listed above, but not really a
state berth challenge

N.B. you can throw a blanket over teams #4 thru #9 for the two last state qualifiers; I
feel Fordham Prep has a slight advantage, but a dogfight will occur; for the losing
teams (and their coaches) there will be “a weeping and gnashing of teeth”
-special mention to John Donodeo, Dave Wood and Pat Dormer, who are always good
fodder for comedy, who failed to even get mentioned above

***all predictions/polls above come with a margin of error of 4% (this is close to the
Gallup, Rasmussen, Clear Politics, AP and Pew surveys)
***remember to “vote early and vote often” (see “swing states”)

High-Flying Defender

Ariana Aston is the last line of defense.

BY JASON MOLINET

Ariana Aston walked into an area Petco store not long ago and fell in love with a parrot. A Green-cheeked Conure to be precise.

It’s a South American tree-top bird that stands all of 10 inches tall and can live 30 years.

Today, it’s a member of the family. It knows everyone by name – yes, it can talk. Squeaky the parrot even laughs a lot like Aston’s father, Jeff.

In many ways, Aston’s soccer season has unfolded in the same way. She went from under the radar to central figure on the Friars girls soccer team, which just clinched the regular-season Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA title and top seed in the playoffs.

Iconic St. Anthony’s girls coach Dave Prutting had heard good things about Aston as a freshman on the junior varsity a year ago. But he never saw her play until August tryouts and didn’t plan to promote such a young player to the varsity.

Aston made quite an impression. The sophomore from East Setauket didn’t just land a roster spot, she’s the sweeper, the last line of defense for the 13-4-2 Friars.

“She runs the defense and reads the game really well from the back,’’ Prutting said. “I can’t say enough good things about her. We wouldn’t be where we are without her back there.”

Aston was a midfielder on St. Anthony’s championship junior varsity last season. She had played defense in the past and hated it. But in the last year she’s been asked to play back and the position has grown on her.

“There are moments when I need to make the big save,’’ said Aston, her voice betraying her excitement.

What makes Aston perfectly suited to be a sweeper is best understood by stepping away from the soccer field for a moment. Aston ran indoor track last winter, specializing in the 200 and 400 meters, as well as the hurdles. That’s right, Aston is flat out fast – and nimble.

“They are usually the last line of defense they have to anticipate,’’ Prutting said. “They have to be all over the field, strong stamina and good speed. They are going against the fastest players on the other team. She definitely has it all.”

Aston and the Friars’ defense came up big in the finale against Sacred Heart Academy last week. The teams played to a 2-2 tie earlier in the season. In the rematch, Sacred Heart managed just five shots on goals as St. Anthony’s took a 4-0 win.

It’s been quite a year for Aston. It started with the added responsibility of a new pet. Now she’s helping take care of an entire team.

“When I tried out my dad and I expected to make the JV,’’ Aston said. “It was awesome to make the varsity.

“I think it’s a strong defense. We haven’t been scored on many times. I love the girls back there.’’

FALL PREVIEW: Boys Cross Country

Venerable Kellenberg cross country coach Kevin Buckley offered up his preseason boys rankings.

1. St. Anthony’s: Plethora of distance runners return (Sather, Walshak, Cherkis, Murphy, et al); will their slogan be “Yes, We Can,” as the Friars look to return to the halcyon days of the Carter administration.

2. Chaminade: We all know that the Flyers (Dayton U. is the hometown of the Wright Bros.) were decimated by graduation; however, Carreiro’s charges are like Mao Zedong’s Red Army in Korea (they’re numerous and relentless); Kiley leads.

3. Farrell: Many pundits have the Lions at #1, but must rebound from the debacle of last year’s XC Cities; “Alex Orlando & Dawn” will be knocking at the ceiling for the top spot.

4. Fordham Prep: Three quality returners led by the elder Jennings; if Febles can convert all the 800 meter speed to the 2 1/2 distance, the Rams can conceivably win it all.

5. Kellenberg: Better than others think; a resurgent Posch + Cook (16th last year in Cities)+ an underappreciated Nicoletti will make the State Meet (I say as a team, you say as individuals).

6. Bishop Ford: The last set of twins still standing, the Gilhuley’s lead the Falcons; back scorers are a problem for all teams from #5 down.

7. Iona Prep: Terrific one-two punch of Halpin/Shephard; Jan Mitchell will have to be at his best to bring along others; the Gaels are rated this low due to the school’s connection to the Mara family; I now must pay $5000 each for my 2 season tickets to the Football Giants for my PSL (Personal Seat License); I have had these tickets since 1963 and my wife’s father served with Wellington Mara on the USS Randolph in the Pacific during WW II (along with Soupy Sales); this is the only remaining forum in which I can complain.

8. Holy Trinity: Muller’s Titans have a nice returning core group that performed so well in 2007 XC Cities; maybe.

9. St. Joseph by the Sea: Buoyed by last year’s very strong Soph squad, the Vikings will look to improve on this rating.

10. St. Peter: James Cannon is certainly a top contender, but can last year’s Frosh Champs help enough; Eagles can be a real wild card.

11. Xavier: Two fine returnees in Mirand and Elie-Vieux, but Dormer needs a lot more.