No. 2 Floral Park boys soccer edges No. 6 Lawrence, advances to Nassau Class A final
Floral Park’s Charles McCarren celebrates his goal against Lawrence with his coach during a Nassau Class A boys soccer semifinal Sunday at Farmingdale State College. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
Charles McCarren scored off an assist from Samuel Ammirati with 17:48 left in the first half, still a long way to go for Floral Park against Lawrence in its Nassau Class A semifinal. But Ammirati figured the Knights were in good shape to advance to the title round.
“Our defense, I mean, is insane,” the senior center attacking midfielder said. “I think Floral Park soccer defense has been so good the past three years.”
Indeed this team was in good shape thanks to that defense. Zach Sarcona had to make only six saves. And none were really stressful.
So No. 2 seed Floral Park edged No. 6 Lawrence, 1-0, Sunday at Farmingdale State.
The Knights (14-1-3) will play here again Saturday against No. 4 Friends Academy in a game that’s tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m.
They’re hungry to repeat as Nassau, Long Island and state champs.
“I mean, so hungry,” Ammirati said. “I’ve never seen a group compete in practice like this group besides last year, I would say. Losing a bunch of guys was huge… But we have that same hunger, that same drive.”
Ammirati curled a corner kick from the left side and McCarren headed it past Gabe Rosales, who otherwise made eight saves.
“I’m super confident,” Ammirati said about his corner kicks. “I have guys like Brady Croon and Charlie McCarren who will go up and get any ball I put in there, just as long as I target a spot.”
Floral Park will face a Friends team that they blanked 5-0 on Oct. 4. The Quakers were minus some players that day.
“It’s a completely different game, completely different team,” Floral Park coach Ahkeel Rodney said. “… We’re not going to allow that previous match to give us any false confidence.”
They can have true confidence in that defense.
“I think the defense was amazing today,” said McCarren, a senior center back. “A lot of people stepped up.”
Besides McCarren, the back line featured Declan Lally, Akash Doshi and Danny Marrero.
“We all are in it together,” Rodney said. “The shutout goes to everybody, including our goalie as well.”
Lawrence finished as a 10-5-1 semifinalist after beginning the season in somewhat of a rebuild.
“ ‘Overachieved’ is my word,” coach Gerard Lagasse said. “I don’t think we had the talent that we’ve had the last couple of years. But we somehow were able to put it together.”
