Goalie Kaden Sy steps up and Floral Park advances to LIC on penalty kicks
The Floral Park team reacts after defeating Friends Academy for the Nassau Class A boys soccer title in a shootout on Saturday. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Nassau Class A championship match was still stuck in a tie through 110 minutes of soccer, and so it was headed for penalty kicks.
Coach Ahkeel Rodney wanted to make a change in goal for Floral Park, Kaden Sy in place of Zach Sarcona. But he wanted Sarcona’s approval.
“I asked him if he’s OK with Kaden going in the net for PKs and he said, ‘Whatever is best for the team,” Rodney said.
Sarcona, a senior who had just made three great stops in double OT, indeed had zero problem coming out for the junior, saying, “I have full confidence in Kaden, practice with him, play with him every day. Honestly, it wasn’t even a decision for me.”
It was a first try for Sy against PKs in a game for the Knights, but you couldn’t tell. He made two diving stops against Friends Academy, and the defending state champs were headed for the Long Island championship game.
Second-seeded Floral Park advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks over the No. 4 Quakers Saturday at Farmingdale State College.
This will go down as a co-championship because it was tied 2-2 through the two 15-minute overtime sessions. The Knights rallied late to even it in regulation.
“We feel good about just moving on,” Rodney said. “… But us being down … it’s the belief from this team, the belief from this town.”
Floral Park will play the Suffolk champ — either Shoreham-Wading River or Glenn — at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Harborfields.
Meanwhile, Friends Academy finished at 11-5-1 but with some satisfaction, too.
“County co-champions, I mean, no one dreamed of this,” coach Edgar Posada said. “… Wonderful season.”
Samuel Ammirati, David O’Shea, Brady Croon and Joe Donovan made it four goals in four PK attempts.
Sy, who had goalie experience with a town team, stopped the last two by Friends.
“At times, he can show a little bit more signs of saving PKs,” Rodney said of the move. “I felt it in the moment.”
Sy said: “I trust in my teammates; I trust in myself. So there’s never any pressure on me.”
Dylan Leon gave the Quakers a 2-1 edge with 17:32 left in the second half. But Donovan tied it with 6:26 remaining, deflecting in an Ammirati corner kick.
“Definitely nerve-wracking,” Ammirati said of that time before the equalizer. “Senior year, I don’t want to leave on a loss. But I have so much confidence in my guys.”
