Breakthrough year for Long Beach

The tone for Long Beach’s breakthrough season was set in the opener, coach Leo Palacio said, after the Marines fell behind defending Nassau Class AA boys’ soccer champion Calhoun by two goals in the first half.

“After we allowed the second goal, one of their players made a comment as he was running by our bench and it really fired up our kids,” Palacio said. “I challenged them to respond and even though we didn’t have some of our better guys in the lineup yet, we made some adjustments and had a tremendous second half.”

Junior Dillon Woods scored twice, including the game-winning goal with three minutes left, to lead Long Beach’s 3-2 come-from-behind victory. Keri Saravia had the other goal, and goalkeeper Scott Gernhardt stopped a penalty kick in the first half to keep the margin within reach.

“Whenever your goalie stops a penalty kick, it’s motivation for the entire team,” Palacio said. “It gave us a lift going into halftime. I can’t remember us ever beating Calhoun, so it really boosted the confidence early.”

The surprising upset was a sign of bigger things to come. The Marines, who last enjoyed a winning season in 2012 and totaled just four conference wins in the past four years combined, went on to capture the Conference AA-3 crown with a record of 8-2.

“It’s been almost 15 years since we won a conference title,” Palacio said. “The kids know the history. They’ve been talking about the banner on the gym wall. They’re excited and we’ll try to keep it going in the playoffs.”

Long Beach, which posted four consecutive shutouts in between losses at Syosset and Calhoun, earned a first-round bye in the Class AA playoff tournament. “In Class AA, year after year you’ve got some programs not only looking to win the county championship but also the state,” Palacio said. “It’s a tough road.”

Among the catalysts for the Marines were Woods, who ranked among Nassau’s leaders in scoring (15 goals) and earned All-County honors, junior sweeper Axel Camas, another All-County selection, senior Carlos Castro (3 goals, 12 assists), who was Honorable Mention All-County, and the goalie tandem of seniors Gernhardt and Marc Reilly.

“Both of our keepers made All-Conference, which is practically unheard of,” Palacio said. “They’ve both been exceptional. They’ve played full games and they’ve split games. It was impossible to separate them.”

Camas, who has all the tools, anchors the defense and gets plenty of support from senior Sean Malone and classmates Rob Cody and John Aelby. Cody usually gets the toughest marking assignment, Palacio said.

Woods and Castro form a dangerous combination up front. “Dillon has outstanding speed and is a take-on artist,” Palacio said of Woods, who scored the majority of his goals on breakaways and free kicks. 

Senior Adam Leavitt, and sophomores Saravia and Bryan Mizhirumbay spearhead the midfield.

“One of our best games came against Farmingdale,” Palacio said. “We won 4-1. Two years ago, they beat us 7-0. That shows just how far we’ve come.”