Whitman boys soccer eliminated from state Class AAA semifinals in penalty kicks
Whitman's Gavin Supek (13) challenges for the ball against Fairport's Timothy Donner (24) during a state Class AAA semifinal in Middletown on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Credit: Adrian Kraus
MIDDLETOWN – Whitman suffered the unkindest cut in the last game to finish on Semifinal Saturday at the state public school boys soccer championships.
The Wildcats battled with Section V champion Fairport for 110 minutes that included a pair of 15-minute overtimes and then five rounds of penalty kicks and their Class AAA semifinal was still tied. On the sixth penalty kick at Faller Field, Whitman’s Nicholas Verdi had his shot stopped by Raiders goalie Nolan Geib and Fairport’s Austin Stephany beat Wilidcats goalie Emerson Castro.
The Whitman players collapsed to the turn where they stood as the Red Raiders celebrated in front of their bench.
The final score goes in the books as 1-1, but Fairport (15-0-3) advances on the penalty kick victory and will play Section II champion Shaker (16-2-1) in Sunday’s 1 p.m. state championship game on Middletown High’s Turf Field. The Blue Bison defeated Scarsdale of Section I, 2-1, when Owen Brant corralled a long ball and scored with 3:43 left in regulation.
Whitman (14-6) had its nine-game winning streak stopped and was denied a shot at its first state title since 2015.
Whitman might never have gotten to the overtime without a bit of good fortune in the first half. They got a 1-0 lead on an unusual own goal by Fairport.
The play started with a Michael Mannino free kick that was stopped by Red Raiders goalie Evan Furciniti. The rebound came to the Wildcats Jerson Contreras who rifled the ricochet back at the goal. His shot hit the post with such force that retreating Raiders defender Andrew Kohl could not get out of the way and it bounced off him and into the goal in the 16th minute.
Fairport managed to tie the score in the 33rd minute.
Zachary Buys had a free kick from about 28 yards out and Alexander Grejda redirected it into the goal to knot the score, 1-1.
The second half and the two 15-minute overtimes were a back-and-forth battle that got increasingly physical and emotional. Whitman was issued four yellow cards after halftime included a pair on their bench. Fairport was issued a pair of yellow cards.
Castro finished the night with 10 saves for Whitman, including a handful that required great leaps our full-extension dives. Furciniti was credited with 12 saves for Fairport.
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.
