Lynbrook advances with OT goal
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Sophomore Mike Milillo was the offensive hero for Lynbrook in its playoff opener.
Ron Manfredi/Herald
Certain adages are often overused in sports, but the term “survive and advance” was appropriate after eighth-seeded Lynbrook’s thrilling 2-1 victory over Wantagh in the opening round of the Nassau Class A boys’ soccer playoffs last Sunday at Lynbrook North Middle School.
Sophomore Mike Milillo’s goal, his second of the afternoon, with just three minutes remaining in overtime, gave the Owls the victory. Brian Brethel assisted on the goal, which came off a corner kick from Antonio Condoleo. Wantagh, the No. 9 seed, got a goal from Jordan Zucker in the 77th minute of regulation to force overtime.
Lynbrook coach Josh Berlin was happy to advance. “It was a hard-fought win over a team that we’ve played twice,” Berlin said. “The last time we played, they tied it up with six minutes to play. Wantagh gave us everything it had. It’s hard to play a team three times. I’m proud of the way the boys played.”
While neither team was dominant, Wantagh had the better of the play for much of the first 40 minutes. The Warriors had a golden opportunity to get on the board, but a goal was thwarted by a tremendous play by Lynbrook freshman defenseman Damian Andreani. With the goalkeeper beaten, Andreani held his position just inside the post and kicked the ball out just before it crossed the line.
The play on the defensive end seemed to bring life to the Owls. Just minutes later, Lynbrook found the back of the net. Condoleo started the play with a corner kick from the southeast corner arc. The ball carried across the field, but was kept in play by Kevin Alonge. Alonge fired a perfect cross to Milillo, who headed the ball down and into the net for a 1-0 lead.
The Owls played a strong second half. Senior Jordan Zides, Alonge and Andreani all played outstanding as Lynbrook controlled the flow of the action and limited Wantagh’s chances. The Warriors were playing without Michael Rumel, one of their leading offensive threats.
When Rumel went out with an apparent head injury, Berlin thought Wantagh picked up its game. “I was concerned when Rumel went out, because teams often play better when they’re not looking for one guy,” Berlin said. “They played better as a team, offensively, without him.”
Wantagh refused to go down without a fight. When the opportunity to tie the game presented itself, the Warriors gladly accepted a gift from the Owls. A defensive miscommunication led to Lynbrook’s senior goalkeeper Matt Patick having to race out of the net. He slipped, leaving Zucker to kick the ball into the empty net to tie the score with just over three minutes to play. Patick had seven saves for Lynbrook
Lynbrook advanced to the quarterfinal round to face top-seeded Garden City on Wednesday afternoon, and the Owls put up quite a fight before coming up on the short end of a 2-1 decision. The deciding goal came with 28 seconds left.
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