Kennedy excites in postseason

All season long Kennedy has had a flair for the dramatic, scoring decisive goals in the waning moments of games en route to a 6-4-2 conference record and a playoff berth in Nassau Class A boys’ soccer. So when the team capped its season with two nail-biting victories during a successful postseason run last week, it came as no surprise to coach Ari Bisk.

“It's been a dramatic year," Bisk said with a laugh. “Overall it makes for some great memories.”

The first of those two playoff victories for 14-seeded Kennedy was in a home matchup against 19-seeded Great Neck North on Oct. 18. After a scoreless 89 minutes of play, senior striker Jack Krug found the back of the net off an assist from teammate Dan Markel with 44 seconds left in regulation. The goal stood alone in a 1-0 win.

Three days later, Kennedy pulled off an upset on the road against three-seeded Cold Spring Harbor. A goal by junior center back Justin Kohan in the first half evened the match at one goal apiece, and the game remained scoreless throughout the remainder of regulation and two subsequent overtime periods, setting the stage for penalty kicks and another dramatic finish.

Trailing by one and needing to score in final round of the penalty kicks to prolong the game, Kennedy called upon their senior keeper, Chris Moussavi. "Not only did he have to score that shot,” said Bisk, “but then he saved the next one."

He did just that. Moussavi then shoved aside Cold Spring Harbor’s next penalty kick attempt to secure the victory. “We were ecstatic,” said Bisk. "One guy dropped to his knees. Everyone else is chasing the goalie. It was a great feeling. Great finish."

Kennedy faced another tough road assignment in the quarterfinals on Oct. 25, and did not go not go down without a fight, dropping the game, 1-0, against Garden City in penalty kicks.

It was a strong ending to a season that Kennedy began 0-2, and then went on to win or tie 11 of its next 13 games – including a thrilling win at crosstown rival Mepham off a game-winning goal with three minutes remaining.  

Among the team’s strengths was a staunch back four that included junior left back Chris Polanco, center backs Kohan and sophomore Pierce Infuso, and junior right back Dennis Elengickal, to complement Moussavi at keeper. “Defensively, our back line and our keeper kept us in every game,” Bisk said. “We were very difficult to score on." 

The team will face a bit of a roster overhaul next season, with five senior starters – and 10 overall – graduating, including top contributors Skyler Gershon and Matt Kaufman, both center midfielders. But there is plenty of reason for optimism, with three starting juniors returning as well as sophomore starters Ryan Cooke at center midfield, left winger Luca Tesoriero and Infuso.

Bisk said he was proud of the way his group ended the 2017 campaign. "We definitely played great team soccer,” he said. “Everyone played for each other. It was entertaining for the fans. With each year, we take another step in the right direction.”