Baldwin stunned in overtime loss

Twenty-two seconds.

That was all that stood between the Baldwin boys’ soccer team and a trip to the Nassau Class AA semifinals. But time proved to be the enemy for the Bruins instead as Port Washington scored the tying goal late in regulation and the winner just over a minute into overtime to escape with a 3-2 stunner Oct. 26.

Benjamin Hernandez and William Zelaya scored for No. 6 Baldwin (8-4-3), which lost by a goal in the quarterfinals for the third straight year. Third-seeded Port Washington (10-3-2) won both meetings this season, including a 2-0 victory on Sept. 20.

“We made a couple of bad little decisions in the moment, which happens with pressure,” coach Chris Soupios said. “That opens up opportunities for teams and to Port Washington’s credit, they took advantage of that.”

Zelaya broke a 1-1 tie with just over 27 minutes left in regulation when he took a pass from Biverly Brutus on the left wing before beating Port goalkeeper Benjamin Stein on the short side from the 5-yard line.

“At that point in the game, we felt like we were in a good spot,” Soupios said.

The Bruins almost got the clincher with 2:26 left, but Justin Jean-Louis’s shot that was heading towards the left side of the net was punched away by diving Stein. 

Baldwin tried to kill the clock in the final minute, but the Vikings gained possession and were awarded a free kick at the 18-yard line when midfielder Derrick Suarez was pulled down by a Bruin defender, which drew a yellow card.

Port’s Davin Rabmin arced a shot that Josue Ascencio-Cueva blocked with his arm while leaping towards the top left corner of the goal, but Martin Hernandez converted the rebound for the equalizer.

“We had the ball in the right spot and then things kind of just broke down,” Soupios said. “They were able to get the free kick due to the yellow card, which stopped time. It allowed them to set up and it allowed them to bring their whole team forward.”

In overtime, Ascencio-Cueva made a spectacular diving stop on Felix Rubinstein’s header after another Viking free kick from just inside the 30. But Rubinstein headed in the ensuing corner kick to send his team and home crowd into a frenzy.

Hernandez headed in a corner kick from the right side with 22:31 left in the first half to open the scoring, the first goal Port allowed since Sept. 28. Sean Ernst knotted the game at 1 with 14 minutes left in the half when he headed in Roberto Lopez-Toloza’s long throw-in. 

The Bruins will lose just five seniors off this year’s roster, including Hernandez, the team’s leading goal scorer this season, Brutus, Jean-Louis, defender Andres Moreno-Mahecha and Aiden Vera, whose tireless work ethic earned him a starting spot this year.

Zelaya and Jean-Louis earned All-County honors, Ascencio-Cueva received All-County honorable mention and the conference’s Goalie of the Year for the second straight year. The All-Conference players were Christian Smalling, Robert Bautista and Hernandez.