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Light Rain Falcons ousted in overtime
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Hewlett’s Jacob Weinstock, center, tries to dribble the ball through Valley Stream South’s Jonathan Hernandez, left, and Yazeid Hamarsha.
Kathy Leistner/Herald
The way Hewlett’s Zachary Feuer and Valley Stream South’s Henoc Bienne were turning aside shots, last Saturday’s Nassau Class A boys’ soccer first-round playoff game had penalty kick shootout written all over it.
But Bulldogs junior Aaron Zohar didn’t let it get that far. His goal 9:30 into overtime gave the Conference ABC-III champions a 1-0 victory over the sixth-seeded Falcons, who had three golden opportunities late in regulation and one in OT foiled by Feuer.
“They had some big chances late in the game and I was never so scared in my life,” said Feuer, a senior who totaled seven saves. “But our defense held up, and there’s nobody I would’ve trusted more with the ball at his feet than Aaron. He made a great play to score.”
Zohar took advantage of a giveaway by the Falcons and beat Bienne (seven saves), a junior, with a low shot to send the No. 11 Bulldogs into the quarterfinal round where they were set to take on third-seeded Roslyn on Wednesday, after press time.
“These guys tasted success last year and they’re a hungry group,” Hewlett coach Nick Lacetera said. “Our defense and keeper have been tremendous and we get goals from different kids all the time. We never know who’s going to step up and score, and today was a perfect example.”
It was a tough ending to the season for the young Falcons, who finished 2-9-1 in Conference ABC-I but started only three seniors — Angel Aguirre, Anthony Carreras and Yazeid Hamarsha. Aguirre made the play of the first half in the goalmouth, heading a shot from Hewlett junior Jacob Weinstock out of harm’s way.
“We had more than our share of chances,” South coach Rich Boyd said. “We didn’t convert from in close and we squandered a corner kick in overtime. We played hard, but we didn’t come through in big moments.”
Hamarsha twice came within inches of being the offensive hero. His direct free kick with 2:30 remaining in regulation caught the top of the crossbar, and 30 seconds later he was denied from point-blank range by a diving Feuer. Junior Brandon Negron blasted a shot wide of the left post with a minute to go in the second half, and Feuer made a lunging stop off sophomore Flynn Shanahan in overtime.
North eliminated by Mineola
Runner-up to Hewlett in Conference ABC-III, Valley Stream North was seeded No. 12 in the Class A playoffs and dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision at fifth-seeded Mineola last Sunday in a first-round game. The Mustangs won it with less than three minutes to go on a goal by Joe Lee. Kenny Vera picked up the lone goal for the Spartans, who went 8-2-2 in conference games.
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