Floral Park boys soccer's Ned Devine nets winner in state Class A semifinal

Senior Ned Devine lifted his hands to his ears after taking a few steps to his left atop the 18-yard box.

He wasn’t trying to listen to a teammate or his coach making a tactical change. Instead, he drank in the moment, the cheers and the jeers, as he extended Floral Park boys soccer’s magical season one more day as he celebrated his game-winner at Middletown High School with just 6:37 left in the second half.

The Knights (14-3-1) are marching into Sunday’s state championship after a thrilling 3-2 win over Section IX’s Our Lady of Lourdes (14-2-2) in the Class A state semifinal round.

“It’s a good feeling,” Devine said. “The team wanted it bad.”

It’s fair to wonder whether senior midfielder Conor McCarthy has bionic legs given the sideline-to-sideline hustle he provides in the midfield, but the same question could be asked of fellow midfielders. That includes senior Daniel Jawad and junior Brady Croon, the latter of which continues to thrive as the team’s defensive midfielder.

Floral Park took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 7th minute goal from senior Michael Donovan, but Lourdes netted an equalizer as sophomore Zachary Cervone found his way behind Floral Park’s back line in the 56th minute. McCarthy stepped up just three minutes later for the Knights, going around the wall on a free kick while freezing the goalie in the process.

“We knew we had the game in the bag when it was 1-0, but then we started to lose some 50-50s,” Devine said. “We started to win those, and it all came together.”

But the chaos wasn’t over as Lourdes battled back as Grady Collins scored after Floral Park failed to clear a corner kick, tying the game 2-2 in the 63rd minute. It caused Floral Park coach Ahkeel Rodney to immediately beckon his starters over to the sideline.

“We had to settle down,” Rodney said. “We had to get back to the things that got us here … A lot of teams would’ve folded, especially at 2-2. Our belief was still there.”

For McCarthy, that belief never wavered.

“[We wanted] to force them to go long,” McCarthy said. “Our center backs turned up big.”

Senior center back Michael Chery certainly did. Aside from tight marking and physical play he made the best defensive stop of the game by a perfect second-half slide tackle to deny Cervone a shot off a breakaway. The play came from behind and inside the box, leaving zero room for error.

“He wasn’t a starter last year and locked in during the summer,” Devine said. “He’s surprised all of us. He’s the best defender in the county.”

Senior goalkeeper Oscar Dalton had four saves, including a terrific stop with his right leg to deny a strong first-half opportunity. The confidence and swagger of this Floral Park team feels infectious, and Devine didn’t mince words when it came to Sunday’s date with Section II’s Schalmont back at Middletown High School at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re definitely coming home with the title tomorrow,” Devine said. “We’re playing for each other, and that’s what means a lot.”