Thursday, October 1, 2026
Second-half goals by junior Matteo Romanello and seniors Matt Trencheny and Will Speechley vaulted South Side over Carey, 3-1, in a Nassau Conference A-I boys’ soccer matchup on Sept. 26 and kept the Cyclones undefeated through eight games although it marked their first taste of victory in more than two weeks.
“It’s a much-needed win,” South Side coach Fred Paul said. “It’s been 15 days since we won, so it’s been a long time since we felt this good after a game. It was great to see us execute on some set pieces and score off a throw-in and a corner.”
Each of South Side’s three previous games resulted in a tie, as well as two of its first three conference battles. With five games remaining, the Cyclones, despite a rash of injuries, stand at 2-0-5 in A-I and in position to make the playoffs.
“Some of the tie games we could’ve won, and some were quality ties,” Paul explained. “I look each one individually. When I think about ties against MacArthur and Jericho, games we played without 25 percent of our team and had guys step up playing new positions, it’s hard to be disappointed.”
Carey’s Corry Brinken picked up his seventh goal of the year to put the Cyclones in a 1-0 deficit at halftime. Romanello got the equalizer on a header from a play that began with a throw-in by senior James Kesicier, and the eventual winner came off the foot of Trencheny with 15 minutes following a mad scramble in the box after a corner kick.
“We’ve been looking to create traffic in front off corners and it paid off,” Paul said. “Early in the season, we’d have just one guy in the box and whatever shots we took would find the goalie.
“It gives the kids a sense of pride when they execute like that,” he added.
Speechley added an insurance tally with a few minutes remaining. Romanello and Trencheny added assists, while sophomore goalkeeper Dan Kelleher made nine saves. “Danny’s been solid in every game and he’s going to have a huge career for us,” Paul said of Kelleher, who has two shutouts.
Injuries have forced almost daily changes to the lineup, Paul said, with as many as six starters absent at the same time in September. Key losses include sophomore midfielder Robby Reis, junior defenders Sean Hurwitz and Dylan Chruma, and junior forward Mesha Redzematovic. The latter was off to a fine start with two goals but could be out for the remainder of the campaign.
Senior Kieran Mooney and sophomore Nick Giganti have been the backbone of the defense, and junior Dan Diez has been an excellent fill-in, the coach said, after a switch from forward. Junior Joseph Buglione, who has two goals and two assists, is keeping the pressure on the competition.
“We’re hoping to get healthy slowly but surely,” Paul said.
One of South Side’s biggest rivals, Garden City, visits this Saturday for a 3 p.m. start.
