By:Brian McLaughlin
After sealing their championship bid by defeating Yorktown at historic Baik Stadium at West Point last week, South Side returned to Hofstra Stadium to host the Trojans on Saturday.
Due to a groin injury that Cyclones senior starting goalie John Kennedy had suffered during the Yorktown win, he was forced to sit the game out, leaving sophomore goalie Danny Orlando to play the entire game. Although Orlando-s play this season had established him as a star player, he usually played only a half per game, and some fans were concerned that his endurance would not last.
Those fears were quieted somewhat when the opening offensive drive by the Trojans was completely shut down and South Side-s counter-attack resulted in a quick pair of goals by senior Kevin Hill in the first two minutes of the game.
After those goals, though, Corning East cut off the Cyclones- offensive game and introduced their own big gun, senior Nick Currie, who had three goals in the first quarter alone. A fourth goal by senior Felix Forbes put Corning East ahead 4-2.
South Side-s main problem seemed to be that the team-s usually crisp passing game had grown sloppy, especially on clears. Also, the high stakes and emotions that accompany any championship game made the contest very rough physically, with players on both teams sometimes concentrating more on scoring a big check than scoring a goal.
South Side once again got off to a quick start in the second quarter, scoring three goals in three minutes from three different players, juniors Ed Ege and Keith Marrano and senior Kent Lucas. South Side-s offense proved unstoppable, resulting in one more goal each from Lucas and Marrano before halftime. Thanks to a number of big saves by Orlando, Corning East was unable to score until the last two minutes of the half, and even then, one goal was on a two-man-advantage power play. Still, the Trojans managed to stay within one goal of the Cyclones.
Due to continued problems with executing forward progress plays, combined with a disproportionate number of penalties levied against it, South Side had to work hard for every scrap of success it got in the second half. The work paid off, though, and the Cyclones entered the final quarter of the game with a three-goal lead.
Corning East continued to put up a strong fight in the fourth quarter, but the fight was knocked out of them when they botched a simple clearing play, allowing South Side senior Chris White to score on an open net. Hill scored his third goal of the game off the subsequent faceoff, all but erasing the Trojans- hopes right then and there. But having learned the dangers of getting too comfortable with a strong lead earlier in the playoff series, South Side played hard until the very last second of the game, when the Cyclones could finally call themselves champions.
After head coach Joe Baccarella was presented the Class B state championship plaque, Lucas was given the offensive MVP award for his outstanding four-goal total in the game, and senior Chris Gammello earned the defensive MVP award for having effectively shut down the usually formidable shooting game of Trojans senior Mike Hatton.
In addition to Lucas-s goals, Hill had three, Marrano had two, and Ege, White and senior Greg Rudolph had one apiece.
At a party held after the game, coach Baccarella thanked his players as well as all their families and other members of the Rockville Centre community who had attended Cyclones games throughout the season. This victory was a team effort, Baccarella told the crowd, and you are all part of that team.
