Andrew Johnson's goal sparks Connetquot to first Long Island title
Andrew Johnson puts Connetquot up 1-0 during the Long Island Class AA boys soccer championship against Plainview-Old Bethpage at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Sunday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Connetquot could not get much going at the beginning of Sunday's Long Island Class AA final. Its chances were few and far between as Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK’s offensive pressure kept the game tilted to one end of the field. But when the Thunderbirds finally managed to make a strong bid for a goal, they had to make it count.
And Andrew Johnson did.
The midfielder took a splendid cross-field pass from Robert Herrera, charged in from the left wing and rocketed the ball into the right side of the net in the 44th minute. Connetquot would still need some solid defensive play, but that goal set it on a path to a 2-0 victory at Mitchel Athletic Complex, earning its first Long Island crown.
“Maybe we underestimated [Plainview] because they had us on the defensive and we really needed something,” Johnson said. “Herrera’s pass and that goal was the thing.”
“That goal was as big as it gets,” Connetquot coach John Zambriski said. “It was a great play in a big moment by a great player.”
The Thunderbirds (16-2-3) now advance to a state semifinal against Section V champion McQuaid Jesuit (17-0-2) scheduled for Saturday at 4:45 p.m. at Middletown High School.
“Being Long Island champions is satisfying, but it isn’t enough,” Johnson said.
Connetquot goalkeeper Tyler Moore made the biggest defensive play of the game with just under 10 minutes left. The Hawks (14-3-3) got the ball to leading scorer Asher Block in the center of the field about 16 yards out and he dribbled to free himself for a clean shot. He struck it hard, but Moore was cat-quick in diving to his right and deflecting the ball away. It was one of his seven saves.
“My heart was in my throat on that one,” Zambriski said. Added Johnson: “That shot was a heart-dropper.”
“All I could do in that moment was react,” Moore said. “I watched his foot, tried to calculate where it would go and dove.”
Connetquot also received big defensive plays from center back Aidan Friel.
Matt Cottone sealed the victory for the Thunderbirds with 3:08 to play. Goalkeeper Ben Selmer turned away a shot from the right wing by Matt Iparraguirre and Cottone ended up with a open shot from the left side and scored.
“We were overcoming adversity to win this game and I had a chance to put it away,” Cottone said. “I had the shot and I took it.”
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.
