Joe Hobot scores winner for Smithtown East against Connetquot
Smithtown East celebrates their win over Connetquot on Monday April 3, 2022. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Joe Hobot and Marcus Wertheim are no strangers to being a part of big goals against Connetquot.
Just last year Hobot fed Wertheim for an overtime winner against the Thunderbirds. This season it was Hobot’s turn to score.
The Smithtown East junior scored the winner, his third goal, with 38 seconds remaining to cap a run of four unanswered for the Bulls over the final 4:20 as they defeated host Connetquot, 14-13, Monday afternoon in Suffolk I boys lacrosse.
Wertheim had scored his third with 1:55 remaining to tie the score for Smithtown East (3-0).
“We stayed focused the whole time even if they went on a run,” Hobot said. “We kept our energy up no matter how much momentum they had and I have to give credit to our defense. It was just an all-around team effort.”
Brendon Marz started the run for the Bulls, scoring with 4:20 remaining to cut the deficit to 14-12. Hobot scored his second 1:23 later to pull Smithtown East within one.
“My message to them the entire game was to just keep playing our game and try to settle it down on defense,” coach Rob Campbell said. “When we were settled we didn’t give up as many goals and towards the end that’s what we were able to do and some of our shots started to fall.”
Hobot, Wertheim and Owen Carroll, who scored four goals, will get the credit in the box score but without two unsung plays, a forced turnover in a one-on-one battle in space by Michael DeSana that led directly to the tying goal and a face off win and drawn penalty from Matt Terrana that set up the winner, the Bulls wouldn’t have been in a position to complete the come back.
“The team defense killed it and Matt Terrana did a fantastic job at the X getting ground balls and drawing that penalty at the end that we were able to capitalize on,” Wertheim said.
Connetquot’s talented midfield duo of Tyler McCarthy and Tyler Moore did everything they could for the Thunderbirds (0-3), each scoring four goals. McCarthy’s final tally put Connetquot up 13-10 with 7:20 remaining. It’s the second straight one goal loss for Connetquot, who also fell to Northport, 13-12, on Saturday.
“Gradually as the season goes on each game gets harder,” Hobot said, acknowledging the depth of talent in Suffolk’s top conference. “One of the biggest things our coach says is that nobody is going to give it to you and Connetquot didn’t give us anything, they were all gas the whole time. We just dug deep as a team and stayed focused and found a way in the end.”
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.