Carle Place boys soccer begins Long Island Class B title defense with win over Class AA's Manhasset
Lucas Viegas of Carle Place celebrates his goal with teammate Matt Babino during a Nassau non-league boys soccer game against Manhasset on Monday at Carle Place. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Carle Place boys soccer program has been piling up county championships for almost two generations of high schoolers. It’s won six Nassau crowns in a row and past two Long Island Class B titles. Still these players are constantly reminded that 2013 set the school standard.
“It’s all we ever hear – 2013 – because that was the year we won the state championship,” Carle Place coach Conor Reardon said. “I told our guys that I’d like to stop hearing about 2013 and start hearing about 2024.”
They got off to the best possible start on Monday, opening day for the public school season. Ryan Leary set up second-half goals by Evan Mehalakes and Lucas Viegas and host Carle Place held defending Nassau Class AA champion Manhasset at arm’s length for a 2-1 non-conference win.
“We want to challenge ourselves by playing the best competition we can,” Reardon said. “It’s a good win and it’s good for this team’s psyche as a small school. It’s a nice reminder to everyone that Carle Place is there.”
The Frogs (1-0) were on offense the majority of the game with Leary setting up most of the chances with a throw-in that rivals most team’s corner kicks. He can reach the far side of the goal mouth from the sideline and gave them nearly a dozen scoring opportunities that way.
But Carle Place got its first goal off his foot, not his throw. A Leary throw-in got batted back to him and he made a centering pass that senior Mehalakes directed in with a shoulder three minutes into the second half. “Any part of you but the hands,” Mehalakes said, “anything to get it in the goal,”
About 13 minutes later, a Leary throw-in got to the far side of the goalmouth and Viegas scored on a header.
“I know the right places to be when [Leary] makes the throw,” Viegas said. “The box wasn’t crowded and I was in a matchup with someone of even height.”
Reardon said that more than half of Leary’s 10 assists last season came on throw-ins and “it’s a weapon and we’re going to use it.”
Leary said he enjoyed the rarity of an assist off his foot, but explained there is more strategy in the assists off the throw. “It’s like when I’m point guard on the basketball team,” he said. “I have to read the defense and find the openings.”
Manhasset (0-1) didn’t get a lot of chances with defenders Matt Babino and Patrick McCarthy shutting down threats, but got on the board with 4:10 left when Adam Armendariz bounced one over goalie Max Cordova and Frank Cvecic was in position to tap it in.
“They played their game better than we played ours – it was execution,” ’Set coach Mark Giardino said. “We weren’t organized or prepared for that and that’s on me.”
The secret to the Frogs sustained success may lie in the attitude the players have each season. Asked about the expectations that come with having won all those county titles, Babino replied “this team has won nothing – we’re 1-0.”
Carle Place lost the 2023 Southeast Regional to Spackenkill on penalty kicks and again missed the chance to go upstate.
“We haven’t been upstate since 2013,” Reardon said, “and that’s where this team wants to go.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
