Chaminade boys soccer's Hudson Keefer scores lone goal in state final win over Canisius

They were on a soccer field spread across the rooftop of a parking garage on the St. John’s campus — aka Belson Stadium — and feeling pretty broken up about what just happened.

The Flyers from Chaminade had just lost in the CHSAA’s 2024 state final to Fordham Prep on a late goal after dominating the match. But a promise was made that November night about a November day to come in 2025.

“We made a promise to all the seniors leaving that we’d win it because I feel like we fell short of what we really could have had last year,” striker Gianluca Falanga said. “I think we deserved it last year. A lapse in focus on the last day.

“Leaving the field, we were all in tears. I was crying. I said, ‘I promise you boys, I’ll win it next year.’ ”

A year and a day later, on that same rooftop, in the wind and the cold, the promise was kept. Hudson Keefer scored Tuesday with 5:03 left in the first half, and the Flyers held on to edge Canisius, 1-0.

State champs. First time since 2021.

“It means everything, especially after we fell short last year,” said Union-bound senior midfielder Jack Dorsey, who also played a part in the lone goal after scoring 17 of his own this season.

“We did make that promise. Ever since we got in the playoffs, I’ve had a chip on my shoulder. The whole team’s had on chip on their shoulder. We wanted this really bad.”

It also meant everything to Brian Anselmo, their second-year head coach.

“I graduated from here; I played here; coached here for 32 years,” Anselmo said. “So it’s a big deal.”

Chaminade, which finished at 17-1-2, beat a team from Buffalo that had won 16 straight after a 0-1-1 start.

“It’s unfortunate because the boys actually worked so hard, and I really wanted it,” Crusaders coach Orville Roberts said.

The Flyers had the wind — howling and gusting up to 36 mph, leaving the Queens air feeling like it was in the lower-20s — behind them in the first half and dominated possession.

Falanga missed a chance for his 20th goal 22 minutes in. The senior’s penalty kick hit the crossbar.

But Keefer would deliver.

“I put the ball in the net,” he said. “But the whole game we fought together.”

Dorsey played a ball to Alexander Blair, who spotted Keefer by the far post and sent a cross from the left side. The junior wing headed it past goalkeeper Octavian Santacrose.

“We’ve been working on it in practice a lot,” Blair said.

The defense excelled in front of keeper Thano Pasakiolis, who made one save. There was scare for Chaminade with about a minute left, though. Canisius had a chance. But a shot hit the left post.

“Soccer’s like a crazy game,” Dorsey said. “It can change in an instant. That could’ve been one of those moments. Luckily, it didn’t. When it didn’t, I knew that we were bound to win.”