Smithtown West boys soccer falls short in state Class AA semifinal

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Final four has a real impressive ring to it. 

Smithtown West finally reached that great height in boys soccer. But this story didn’t end the way the Bulls wanted. They suffered their first loss in their final game.

Section I winner Scarsdale scored a pivotal second goal with time all but expired in the first half Saturday in this Class AA semifinal. And the defending state champ went on to claim a 4-1 victory at Middletown High.

“Obviously, I’m upset, but I’m proud of how far we came,” said senior goalkeeper Nick Kondenar, who stopped six shots. “Obviously we wanted the state title win, but I feel like we achieved a lot for the team and for the school. It hasn’t been done before [by Smithtown West]. 

“All the younger players that are crying and upset, I’m just saying, ‘Make it further next year.’ ”

The Raiders moved to 20-0-1 and clinched a berth in the 9 a.m. Sunday final here against Section II champ Guilderland. 

“I think we won because of, quite frankly, their pedigree at this point,” coach Marcos Monteagudo said. “These kids, they know how to win big games. They know how to play in big games.”

Lorenzo Galeano gave them a 1-0 edge just 2:48 in on a penalty kick after he was tripped in the box.

Smithtown West did apply pressure, earning four corner kicks in the first half. Lucas Kantor made one sensational stop to prevent the Bulls from tying it.

“They were undefeated coming out of Long Island,” Monteagudo said. “We knew they were going to be excellent.” 

But Lev Stahl’s wide-open shot from about 12 yards out tipped off Kondenar’s hand and into the net with the stadium clock at 0:00, making it 2-0. One second was put back on.

“I thought it was late,” Smithtown West coach A.J. Gercke said. “I protested it.”

He was told it couldn’t be protested.

“If that goal didn’t happen at the end of the half, it would’ve been a whole different game,” Kondenar said.

John Savino sliced it to 2-1 6:41 into the second half with a shot from about 18 yards out on the right side after a feed from Jake Hutter. 

Savino said he felt the momentum turn.

“We’re a team where we score a goal, we keep going,” the senior said. 

And Savino appeared to score the equalizer with about 10 minutes left. But he was called for being offside.

“We got robbed on that second one,” Savino said.

Yusuke Sato and Henry McAllister soon scored in a 2:02 span, and the Bulls weren’t going to advance.

Their presence had roots that stemmed to last November’s loss to Connetquot via penalty kicks in their Suffolk final. Gercke said that “really motivated” the returnees.

“You’ve really got to suffer before you succeed,” he said.

So the 2023 Bulls will be known for this: 14-1-2 Suffolk champs, Long Island champs and state final four participants. 

As Gercke said, “It was a dream.”