South Side caps historic title run

13th-seeded Cyclones beat Roslyn on penalty kicks

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South Side’s Josh Levine believes one of the keys to being a successful goalkeeper is having short-term memory, but winning the Nassau Class A boys’ soccer championship as the No. 13 seed is something he and the Cyclones will never forget.

After South Side and second-seeded Roslyn battled to a 1-1 stalemate through 80 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime before a jam-packed crowd of 1,750 at Hofstra on Wednesday night, Levine’s diving save off Alessandro Drago in the sixth round of penalty kicks sealed the Cyclones’ third county title in six years and first since 2010. Sophomore Pat Basile netted the winning goal after the Bulldogs squandered a chance to win it on their fifth attempt, which sailed over the crossbar.

“I had a feeling I might get a chance,” Basile said. “It was pretty nerve-racking, but I’ve been making them in practice. The shot went a little higher than I wanted, but it went in. Josh then made a great save to end it.”

South Side, which won the shootout 3-2, lost in the county finals to Jericho last year as well as in 2012. “It’s an incredible feeling,” said senior Alessandro Pugliese, who tied the game on a penalty kick with 9:07 remaining after Roslyn goalkeeper Ethan Rousso was whistled for a foul in the box. “Four years of hard work finally paid off,” he added. “Our team has so much heart. This season has been a roller coaster, but we worked hard for each other and never quit.”

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