Friends Academy boys soccer gets past North Shore in overtime
Sebastian Martinez-Sierra of Friends Academy readies a kick during a Nassau Class A boys soccer quarterfinal against North Shore on Thursday in Locust Valley. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Nassau Class A boys soccer quarterfinal had come down to this: 10 minutes left in the second half and Friends Academy desperately searching for the equalizing goal against North Shore.
But Edgar Posada wasn’t sweating Thursday on his home turf.
“I’m thinking we’re going to score two,” the Quakers’ coach said.
And you know what? They scored two.
Dylan Leon to Jack Steinberg for the tie with 9:51 remaining. Then Leon to Steinberg to Sebastian Martinez-Sierra for the win with 6:25 to go in OT.
Fourth-seeded Friends Academy edged No. 5 North Shore, 2-1.
There’s no more joyous way to win a playoff game than in the suddenness of overtime.
“We knew that this group was special,” Posada said. “And today was special . . . It was like war against our No. 1 rival. And now we’re going to play against our No. 2 rival, Locust Valley.”
The Quakers (10-4-1) will play their semifinal against the top-seeded Falcons at noon Sunday at Farmingdale State. Friends Academy fell 4-3 to them in a preseason scrimmage.
“We went toe to toe, and we’ve grown ever since,” Posada said. “We’re better than them. We just know.”
North Shore (6-3-3) nearly won it about a minute into OT. Henry Cardoza’s shot hit the crossbar.
In the end, the pain was on the faces of the Vikings sitting on the ground.
“I want to be there for the guys,” coach Michael Bishop said. “They gave everything. They fought. You can see what it means to them. We were that close.”
Leon, the standout senior attacking center midfielder, started the ending, feeding Steinberg on the right side. Then came Steinberg’s cross. Martinez-Sierra took a shot in front. Finn Duffy made the save. But Martinez-Sierra knocked in the rebound.
“It was an incredible moment,” Steinberg said.
Colin Davison headed in a perfect corner kick from Cardoza for a 1-0 lead with 21:12 left in regulation. But Friends tied it after Leon sent a great ball into the box to Steinberg, who delivered his fifth goal in the last four games.
“When that ball came in from Dylan, I knew I had to finish it,” Steinberg said. “It was our only chance.”
They have a chance to take the program’s first county title since 2013 — two more wins required.
“It’s always been the goal,” Leon said. “Our team has the tools to do it. It’s just a matter of carrying it out.”
