Greenport boys fall in overtime of state 'D' semifinal
Greenport's Michael Secaida, left, controls the ball in front of Fillmore's Isaiah Sisson during a Class D semifinal at the NYSPHSAA Boys Soccer Championships in Middletown, N.Y., Saturday. Credit: Adrian Kraus
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Heartbreak comes in many forms. For the Greenport boys soccer team it came as a soft pass from the wing, a quick redirection of the ball and a ripple in the net. The anguish was clear from the way the Porters all dropped to the ground right where they stood on the field.
Greenport’s bid to reach a first boys soccer state title game ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to unbeaten Fillmore in a Class D semifinal Saturday at Middletown’s Faller Field. The Porters showed resourcefulness and grit as they rallied from a two-goal halftime deficit to force the extra session. Leyton Sanasith tapped in Mitchell Ward’s pass along the end line 7:15 into the OT for the winner.
“Our second half was all about heart,” senior Declan Crowley said. “Everyone thought we might be out of it at 2-0, but we believed we could (win) and we almost did.”
It’s the end of an odd journey for Greenport (6-13), the only Class D team on Long Island. It had only the required 11 players when the season started. It spent much of the regular season getting beaten up by the larger schools it had to play. But the Porters never took their eye off the chance they’d get in the state tournament. And they won their first two games in it.
“Playing bigger schools got us better,” Ricky Campos said. “It took time but we got good.”
Ward scored a pair of goals in the first half for Fillmore (22-0). Which meets Chazy in the Sunday morning final. Luis Masin led the Porters back as they scored twice in 80 seconds early in the second half. Campos found Masin for a clean shot he put in from 15 yards with 33.24 left in regulation. Masin assisted on a Milton Veliz goal with 32:04 to go.
“My takeaway from today is the will to win they showed in coming back in the second half,” Porters coach Greg Dlhopolsky said. “They were able to modify their style in the second half of a state semifinal and tie it up. That’s heart and effort.”
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.
