Uniondale boys soccer overcomes low seeding in Nassau Class AAA quarterfinals, defeats No. 2 Oceanside in overtime
Junior Valle, front left, gets mobbed by Uniondale fans in visiting bleachers after scoring winning goal in Nassau Class AAA quarterfinal on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. Credit: James Escher
It was a year ago when Uniondale arrived for the Nassau Class AAA boys soccer tournament with high hopes and a high seed. But the No. 1 Knights left with a sour feeling after promptly being shown the exit ramp in the quarterfinals by No. 8 East Meadow.
Uniondale arrived for its AAA quarterfinal on Wednesday in a very different spot. It was the seventh seed, playing at No. 2 Oceanside.
“I said, ‘We were here last year. We know what it feels like. Let’s be on the other side of the results,’ ” coach Cohen Nelson said.
His team had to work overtime, but it indeed reached the other side. Senior midfielder Junior Valle scored with 1:06 left in OT, giving Uniondale a 3-2 win.
The Knights (6-5-2), who were also helped by Jorge Martinez’s eight saves, will face third-seeded Syosset in the semis at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Farmingdale State.
“It just feels good after last year, kind of disappointed, entered first seed and to lose first game,” Valle said. “But this year, we’re on the opposite side, entered as the lower seed.”
East Meadow’s victory over Uniondale launched a run to a county title.
“Here comes another run, and the run has started,” Nelson said. “We’re out of the blocks and we’re flying.”
Valle flew a hard shot from the left side of the box past the Oceanside backup goalkeeper to win it.
The Sailors (7-3-3) had forced OT despite trailing 2-0 after 9:20 on goals by Angel Velasquez and Raymond Zavala.
It also played the game’s final 76:15 with just 10 guys after starting goalkeeper Bryan Tirado had come out toward a charging Zavala and the officials ruled Tirado stopped the ball with his hands while outside of the box. The penalty? A red card.
But Dylan Wassenbergh scored on a penalty kick with 7:30 left until halftime, and Sean Mahoney tied it with a 25-yard free kick 5:26 into the second half.
“I just told the guys, ‘Relax. We can’t lose our head,’ ” Zavala said.
In the end, Oceanside could still feel pride.
“Super proud of the fight,” coach Patrick Turk said. “To give up two in the beginning like that and then get two back and put it into overtime and get us into that point — a lot of proud things despite the result.”