Tommy Poz sets Nassau single-season scoring record, sends Garden City to Nassau AA final
Garden City’s Tommy Poz celebrates his second goal of game during a Nassau Class AA boys soccer semifinal against Glen Cove at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale on Monday. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Tommy Poz weaved neatly through a traffic jam and deposited his record-breaking, game-deciding shot into the net.
The senior forward scored twice to break the Nassau single-season record for goals, fueling undefeated and top-seeded Garden City to a 2-1 victory over No. 12 Glen Cove in the Nassau Class AA semifinals on Monday night at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
In November of 2021, Garden City edged Glen Cove for the Nassau Class A boys soccer title. Then Glen Cove blanked Garden City in a championship rematch last November. Now the teams were playing again in the postseason, only this time they were fighting for a spot in the AA final.
Garden City had Long Island’s leading goal scorer on their side, and Poz was a difference maker again.
“The team was just amped to play this game because they had just knocked us off last year in the county final and we just wanted this one bad,” Poz said after scoring goals No. 33 and 34. “It meant a lot to me because I missed a chance in the final last year that was pretty early and would’ve changed the game. I just wanted this one.”
The 18-0 Trojans will face the winner of Monday night’s other semifinal between No. 2 Manhasset and No. 6 Long Beach on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Farmingdale State.
“Glen Cove is a great team, a great program,” Garden City coach Paul Cutter said. “… I’m just proud of my guys, how hard they worked, the resilience they showed. Back to the county final.”
Floral Park coach Ahkeel Rodney, who played for Elmont, held the county record, according to Cutter. Poz tied the mark about 12 minutes in, scoring from the top of the box.
Later in the first half, Poz dribbled through a handful of defenders in the right side of the box and moved to the middle. He booted the ball into the right side of the net from 6 yards out with 10:17 remaining to pass Rodney.
“I did something good for myself,” Poz said, “but it’s all about the team right now.”
The Big Red didn’t score until there was 5:23 left. After a handball in the box, Jose Rumipamba converted a penalty kick to get Glen Cove within a goal.
But the equalizer never came.
“Right now, heartbreaking,” Glen Cove coach Brian Smith said when asked to sum up an 8-6-4 season. “This group of young men epitomized what a team is.”
