#2 Men’s Soccer Suffers Shootout Loss to #3 Farmingdale in Skyline Semis

Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)

Patchogue, NY| The #2 St. Joseph's College (L.I.) men's soccer team saw its season come to an end on Wednesday evening after suffering a 4-1 loss in a penalty shootout to #3 Farmingdale State in the Skyline Conference semifinals. The two sides had played to a 2-2 draw after regulation and two overtime periods.

Though St. Joseph's was eliminated, they are credited with a tie and end the season with a 9-10-2 (7-2-1 Skyline) record, while Farmingdale advances to the Skyline Conference final.

The Golden Eagles got the better of the play through the opening 20 minutes, as they outshot the Rams by the tally of 4-1. Justin Busto's 19th minute header rang off the crossbar moments after Andrew Stasiewicz and Gaetano Innamorato saw shots inside the box blocked.

In the 31st minute, Stasiewicz, barrelling down the right wing, played a cross into the Farmingdale box for a waiting Alex Guadagno, but the senior mistimed the pass and saw his attempt trickle past the end line.

After continued pressure, the Golden Eagles broke through in the 36th minute, when Heredia headed home a free kick from outside the box for his seventh goal of the season. Despite maintaining momentum after the goal, the Golden Eagles would head to halftime tied at one after FSC's Sebastian Ramirez's shot deflected off a defender and past keeper Avery Gomez. St. Joseph's was later credited for an own goal.

Farmingdale came out strong in the second half and pulled ahead in the 53rd minute, when Richard Mastrangelo played a through-ball to a cutting J.T. Famularo, who evaded Gomez at the top of the box and deposited the ball into an open net.

Guadagno had an opportunity to tie the game in the 63rd minute, when he pounced on a loose ball in the Farmingdale box, but saw his 1v1 attempt with the keeper blocked.

SJC continued to push for an equalizer later in the half and tested FSC keeper Kevin Gordillo on numerous occasions. In the 83rd minute, Brian O'Sullivan launched an attempt from 50 yards out that caught Gordillo off his line, but the keeper hustled to get a hand to it. A streaking Busto attempted to head the ball into the open net, but Gordillo again made an acrobatic save. Just when it appeared that the chances would go to waste, Michael Flynn stormed into the box and deposited the loose ball into the back of the net for his third goal in the last two games.

Flynn's tally would force overtime, and the Golden Eagles looked primed to find a winner early, having recorded four shots during a furious sequence in the 93rd minute, but again Gordillo and his defense cleared SJC's efforts off the line.

With no winner through 110 minutes, the sides settled for a penalty shootout. FSC converted its first attempt, and to further apply pressure to the hosts, Gordillo stopped Enrique Tirado on SJC"s first shot. Gordillo would stop Innamorato next and, after a Heredia goal in the third round, gave his side a chance to win in the fourth round. The fourth FSC shooter was Sebastian Ramirez, and he fired his side to victory with a chip-shot penalty attempt.

Despite losing 4-1 in the penalty shootout, the Golden Eagles heavily outshot the Rams 25-9 in the match. Gomez was forced into making just two saves, while Gordillo made 11. St. Joseph's also won more corners (4-3).