High School Soccer

BY ADAM RONIS

1. Massapequa
2. Sacred Heart
3. New Hyde Park
4. East Meadow
5. Plainedge
6. Island Trees
7. South Side
8. Garden City
9. Syosset
10. Baldwin

BY ADAM RONIS

1. Massapequa
2. St. Anthony's
3. Commack
4. Connetquot
5. Sacred Heart
6. Northport
7. New Hyde Park
8. East Islip
9. East Meadow
10. Sayville

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Comsewogue is the favorite to win the Suffolk Class A title. You heard it here first.

The Warriors are unbeaten in Suffolk League V, a perfect 6-0, and 7-2 overall. They used a Sean Dougherty goal on an assist for Mackie Magoulas with 1:40 left to beat Sayville, 2-1,yesterday. Comsewogue already beaten Hauppauge and gets Kings Park next.

I give coach Dan Costello a lot of credit for testing his talented team against Newfield and Sachem East, two excellent AA teams, in the first two games of the season. Comsewogue lost just 2-0 to Newfield and 2-1 to Sachem East.

I knew Comsewogue had a chance to be a dynamic and explosive offensive team just looking at the roster at the start of the season. Dougherty already has nine goals, Keith Vigorito has seven goals and five assists and Magoulas has four goals and four assists.

Its defense, lead by Chase Lipshie, Nick Falherty and goalie Kyle Dougherty, has been equally impressive. The Warriors have given up just five goals in nine games and no more than two in any one contest.

This combination of talented offensive playmakers and stingy defense will have Comsewogue right there at the end.

You heard it here first.

By Stephen Haynes

The two-inch vertical scar over her right kneecap is permanent. But to her, it's not a reminder of pain, but of perseverance through persistence.

The upstart West Islip girls soccer team is off to a 6-2 start, and atop their scoring tally is junior Codi-Lyn Johnson. The 5’3” speedster has been able to weave through defenses, change direction on a dime and, of course, kick with accuracy. When she scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime contest against league-rival Centereach on Sept. 18, it seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d suffered a severed ACL.

But rewind to November 2005. There was the 13-year-old, writhing in pain while laying on the grass, in tears, and clutching her knee.

“I was running on a breakaway and my knee just cracked,” said Johnson, recalling the Waldbaum’s Cup game with her East Meadow travel team. “I was just running and the leg gave out. I didn’t slip or anything. I didn’t know what happened.”

She didn’t, and neither did the trainer. Johnson, with the help of her coach, was able to walk to the bench. It didn’t look that serious, so after icing the knee until it felt numb, she returned to the field. After all, it was a single-elimination tournament match against Northport and her team only led 1-0. “I thought it was just a bruise or something,” she said.

But shortly thereafter, she heard the notorious pop; a sound that's become all too common in sports. What happened was a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. The kind of injury that has transmuted the careers of many athletes, and ruined those of several others.

“The pop was really loud,” Johnson remembered. “You could probably hear it from the other side of the field. I was scared. I’d never felt any pain as bad in my life.”

That was just the beginning. What followed for the eighth-grader was a daunting rehabilitation process.

Johnson would have to wait six months until her growth plates closed before having the operation to transplant muscle and cartilage from her thigh to the knee.

“She cried all the time,” said Anne Johnson, her mother. “And seeing pictures of where they made the cuts, I would cry with her. I’d feel the pain in my knee.”

The surgery downed her for a year, eight months of which were spent going through grueling rounds of physical therapy. Three times each week, there were leg bends with restrictive bands, weight training, treadmill work and sessions with electric stimulation pads.

All that at 13.

The injury stole a bulk of her first high school season and much of the typically-bubbly teenager’s effervescence. She wasn’t able to hang out with friends much, she said, and the three months on crutches weren’t pleasant.

It’s part of the season she rushed back to the field as soon as possible – prematurely, she confessed.

“I went back before I was supposed to for ninth grade,” she said. “It hurt when I did certain movements, like stopping short or cutting one way. But I got through it.”

She did. And through her sophomore year, there was more recuperation (the injury normally takes 18 months for a complete recovery) and the melioration of skills diminished in the time off. By the end of the season, though, she was able to “turn it up full crank.”

Fast-forward to the present. The knee, according to Johnson, is at about 95 percent and she needs only to stretch it before running and ice it down after some games.

"She hasn't shown any ill effects of it," said West Islip coach Nick Grieco. "Some people become hesitant in their play after serious injuries, but the way she moves, she hasn't lost any aggression."

Johnson scored her first varsity goal in a 2-0 win over Half Hollow Hills East in the Lions' League III opener and is having a breakout season on a burgeoning, breakout team.

“It’s awesome watching her play,” Anne said. “Her moves are pretty. It’s a big accomplishment. I know I couldn’t have done it. I’d have been like, ‘Forget it. Give me a wheelchair.’ It’s a tough game and there's a lot of contact. She’s had her share of bumps, but you’d never know she had surgery.”

Unless you’ve seen the scar. It used to be covered by a kneepad, but Johnson has done away with that.

“It was sort of a way of letting people know that I had the knee problem,” Johnson said of the protective pad, “but after a while I threw it off because it was slowing me down.”

BY ADAM RONIS

Class AA
Massapequa is clearly the best team right now. They have a lot of depth and are very talented. Even without Victoria DiMartino for several games due to her traveling with the national U-17 soccer team, the Chiefs haven't suffered. Already have wins over East Meadow, South Side, Northport and St. Anthony's. They have played one of the toughest schedules and have yet to lose.

East Meadow has been very competitive. It just lost to Massapequa 3-0 in a rematch of last season's championship game. Have tied South Side and Garden City and lost in OT to New Hyde Park.

Farmingdale has started slow, but there is talent there. A win against Garden City in its last game is a good sign. I was very impressed with Tara Croyle and her defensive prowess.

Syosset is performing well in the top conference of ability grouping. A tie against Island Trees and wins over Garden City and South Side.

Oeanside is always a team to watch out for. Already have an impressive win over Plainedge.

Baldwin has come on strong with four wins in its last five. They are always a gritty, defensive team and could spoil someone's season.

Class A
This will be a very interesting race. South Side's 30-game winning streak game to an end and the four-time defending state champions have already lost three games and tied twice. The loss of Crystal Dunn, who has missed several games because she is traveling with the U-17 national team, has been a big one. South Side also graduated many players, especially many stars. Expect Liz Monfort and Carly Beyar to step up and carry this team. The Cyclones have a winning program and don't expect them to relinquish the crown easy. Conference I is very tough and there's never an easy game.

New Hyde Park is very strong and playing some great soccer. A win over East Meadow in double overtime in Game 2 of the season opened eyes. In the biggest game of the year to date, NHP rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Plainedge, 3-2. It will be interesting to see if they are hurt by playing in Conference II as opposed to South Side, Island Trees and Garden City, which are all A teams playing in Conference I.

Island Trees opened the season on a high note ending South Side's streak with a 3-1 win. Two games later, it tied Massapequa, which has yet to lose. Island Trees lost to Plainedge and Garden City by a total of 7-0 and tied South Side 2-2 Thursday. With a 1-1-4 record in conference, it's tough to figure them out.

Garden City is always a threat, but its last two games show how tough it has been to figure out Nassau. The Trojans defeated an very good Island Trees team and then followed that up with a 2-0 loss to Farmingdale.

Plainedge has played very well. Impressive wins over Garden City and Island Trees.

Class B

Cold Spring Harbor is the favorite and playing very well in Conference III. Lost to Island Trees 1-0 and beat Wheatley 3-0. Wheatley doesn't have a great record, but usually meets CSH in the Class B final. Both teams will be well tested entering the postseason.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Westhampton coach Al Ellis won his 350th career boys varsity soccer game when Westhampton beat East Hampton, 2-1, on Sept. 18. He has since added two more victories and now has 352 victories in his 31-year career. He coached 29 seasons at Rocky Point and the last two at Westhampton Beach. I'd just like to send my congratulations to Al on the milestone and all his success.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Half Hollow Hills West's Stefan Carter already entered this season as the school's all-time assist leader, but he set an even bigger milestone on Thursday.

Carter became Hills West's all-time leading scorer, according to coach Doug Gannon, on his first assist, a free kick headed in by Nolan Gelman in the Colts, 2-1, win over Smithtown West in League IV. The senior, who also assisted on Gelman's second goal, now has 91 career points, breaking the record previously held by Mike Zeller (1994-97).

What was even more important was that that win was the Colts' fourth straight and they are unbeaten in their last five contests. A hard-luck, 2-1, loss to Riverhead has seemed to have refocused the Colts (5-1-3, 4-0-1) and Carter. The Boston College bound forward has four goals and seven assists in his last four games, including a two goal and two assist performance against Deer Park. Nolan Gelman has also come on with three goals and three assists in the four wins.

Half Hollow Hills West hosts unbeaten West Babylon (7-0, 4-0) Saturday at 10 a.m. The game should give us our first sense of who the best team in League IV is. The way the Colts and their stars are playing, my vote goes to them.

Class AA1: 7-0-1 Massapequa-8
2: 8-0-0 Union-Endicott-4
3: 6-0-0 East Islip-11
4: 8-0-0 Bethlehem-2
5: 7-1-1 Aquinas-5
6: 3-2-0 LI St. Anthony’s-CHS
7: 7-0-1 Commack-11
8: 7-0-1 Greece Athena-5
9: 7-0-0 John Jay EF-1
10: 5-2-0 Ballston Spa-2
11: 8-1-0 Baldwinsville-3
12: 6-1-0 Connetquot-11
13: 5-1-1 C-NS-3
14: 7-1-1 Kenmore West-6
15: 6-2-2 Vestal-4
16: 6-2-1 Saratoga-2
17: 8-1-0 Spencerport-5
18: 3-2-2 East Meadow-8
19: 7-2-0 Williamsville North-6
20: 3-1-0 Ward Melville -11

Class A
1: 3-1-0 Islip-11
2: 8-0-1 Maine-Endwell-4
3: 8-0-0 New Hyde Park-8
4: 8-1-0 Victor-5
5: 5-3-1 Burnt Hills-2
6: 4-1-1 Sayville-11
7: 8-1-0 Williamsville East-6
8: 10-0-0 Palmyra-Macedon-5
9: 7-0-0 Cornwall-9
10: 4-1-0 Byram Hills-1
11: 5-3-1 Averill Park-2
12: 4-1-0 Rye-1
13: 7-1-0 Holy Names-2
14: 7-2-0 Plainedge-8
15: 2-3-1 Rockville Ctr. South Side-8

Class B
1: 9-0-0 Lansing-4
2: 9-0-0 Nichols-AIS
3: 5-0-0 Chenango Forks-4
4: 8-0-0 Nanuet-1
5: 6-0-1 Tamarac-2
6: 11-0-0 Potsdam-10
7: 4-1-0 Marcellus-3
8: 9-1-0 Mynderse-5
9: 7-2-0 Livonia-5
10: 5-2-0 Cold Spring Harbor-8
11: 7-0-2 Clinton-3
12: 6-1-1 East Aurora-6
13: 9-1-0 Dryden-4
14: 7-0-1 Chatham-2
15: 5-0-0 Center Moriches-11

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Sure it hasn't been a good last few days for the St. John the Baptist boys soccer team. Suspensions have been given out since the team’s bench-clearing brawl with St. Anthony’s last Thursday night.

Now it is time to get back to soccer.

I got the chance to watch St. John the Baptist for the first time and was really impressed with two of its players.

Coach Andrew Herr has told me that he believes Adriano Gabriele is the best player in the CHSAA. While that is a fact to be debated, the kid is certainly the real deal. The first thing that jumped out me was his athleticism and what long strides he can take while dribbling the ball down field. He scored twice and certainly could have scored more in a 5-0 win over St. Dominic yesterday. Even from 30-yards out his shot is so accurate and so powerful that it is a serious threat.

Watching Gabrielle just reaffirmed what I had heard about him. It was a different story for John Sheridan. The midfielder exhibited a superb poise to his game and excellent ball handling skills. The ball was soft to his feet and soft off of them. When Sheridan dribbles the ball barely leaves hit feet. He is total control.

The last few days have been ones to forget for St. John the Baptist, but with players like Gabriele and Sheridan, the days to come are certainly worth looking forward too.

1. Massapequa
2. Island Trees
3. Sacred Heart
4. New Hyde Park
5. East Meadow
6. Plainedge
7. Syosset
8. Oceanside
9. South Side
10. Holy Trinity

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Howdy folks, we've got lots to discuss, so let's get right to it.

-First up, what in the world happened to Sachem East yesterday? You just don't expect to see a team that had scored no less than three goals in each of its first five games to be shut out by a middle-of-the-pack team.

Patchogue-Medford has improved since last season, and Kayla Flowers is certainly doing a fine job in goal with three straight shutouts. But there is no way Sachem East should be losing to the Raiders.

Sachem East is still one of the elite programs in the county, but Ward Melville may be poised to overtake its League I rival. We'll see when the teams meet on October 2.

-Before the season Northport coach Tom Fazio called League II "possibly the toughest in the county." His words have rang true in the early-going, with Commack emerging as the favorite after a 3-1 win over Connetquot yesterday.

Commack is 4-0 in the league and has outscored its opponents 25-1 thus far. Kelsey Dlugos and Theresa Martorano have provided the firepower, and Chelsea Intrabartola is one of the top keepers on Long Island.

Connetquot and Northport are currently the No. 2 and 3 teams in the league, respectively. But any of the top-3 teams could be in the top spot by the end of the year.

-In League III, there is East Islip (6-0) and then everyone else. Ten different girls have scored so far this season for a potent Redmen offense that has outscored its opponents by an average of 3.66 goals per game. Alexa Niciforo leads the way with seven.

A date with West Islip looms tomorrow, but the Lions (also undefeated in league play) shouldn't pose much of a problem for EI.

-Yesterday, a fiesty Deer Park team nearly upset North Babylon, but Jenny Melton's penalty kick salvaged the tie. Behind Melton and junior Bria Hartley, the Bulldogs should win League IV. But that doesn't mean that teams like Deer Park, Bellport and West Babylon won't test them...

-Sayville's Min Hodak gave her team a 2-1 win over Islip on Friday in a battle of League V's elite. Sayville had a small lapse yesterday though, as it allowed two second-half goals to Kings Park in a 2-2 tie.

All the attention on Hodak has really opened up space for sophomore Dariann Sellitti, who has eight goals.

Huntington has a chance to make a name for itself this week with games against Islip (today) and Sayville (Thursday).

I'll be back later this week with some analysis of Leagues VI, VII and VIII, so stay tuned...

But before I go, here is this week's Suffolk Top-10:
1. St. Anthony's
2. Commack
3. Connetquot
4. Northport
5. Sachem East
6. East Islip
7. Sayville
8. Islip
9. Ward Melville
10. North Babylon

Okay, that's all for now! See ya'll out on the pitch.

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Good morning soccer fans!

Here are the boys and girls soccer polls that can be found in today's paper:

Boys
1. Brentwood
2. Chaminade
3. St. Anthony's
4. Massapequa
5. Patchogue-Medford
6. St. John the Baptist
7. Hicksville
8. West Babylon
9. Port Washington
10. Half Hollow Hills West

Girls
1. Massapequa
2. St. Anthony's
3. Commack
4. Island Trees
5. Connetquot
6. Sacred Heart
7. Northport
8. Sachem East
9. New Hyde Park
10. East Islip

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Four of Nassau’s best teams squared off, but nothing was decided.

Massapequa appeared as if it was going to hold on for an important win over Syosset, but Spencer Hazan scored on scramble in the box with 1:00 left to tie the score at 2 for the Braves (1-1-3) in Conference AA-I. James Diana headed in a free kick to give Massapequa (4-0-1) a 2-1 lead 60th minute.

Tyler Arnone scored two goals for Hicksville (3-1-1) and Bobby Cassidy and Mike Buquicchio each scored one goal for Oceanside (1-1-2) all in the first half for a 2-2 tie.

Port Washington (3-2-2), Conference AA-I’s other top squad, played a telling non-league contest. It lost just 1-0 to Chaminade. Steve Stefanak scored on an assist from Patrick McCann off a corner kick 3:48 into the game for Chaminade (5-0-1). Michael Gallagher and Brandon Saldana each made two saves for the shutout. The close match tells you that Port Washington is starting to play its best soccer right now.

The game’s outcomes don’t tell you who Massapequa's top challenger is right now. Though It does tell you how close in talent all the teams are and how a bounce here or there could eventually decide the county championship down the line.

The gamut that a great player can cause a coach’s emotions to run.

On Friday, Elmont soccer phenom Akheel Rodney scored both of his team’s goals, including the winner in the 64th minute, propelling Elmont to a 2-1 victory over East Meadow. So spectacular was the play that his coach, Patrick Corvetti, said he thought it was the best of the 60-some goals he’d witnessed his star kick.

Sure, it’s often a coach’s wont to hawk the hyperbolic homily and, naturally, they have a different perspective, but it was definitely an impressive goal.

“He got the pass around the 18-yard line, hit it off his chest to himself, took the defender to the corner and, once he found an opening, he stopped on a dime, and kicked it as he was turning,” said Corvetti, play-by-playing. “It was from the corner and it went upper 90. The goalie didn’t even know it was in at first. He kicked it to the perfect spot, and it was unsavable.”

(Tangent: I did some quick research a Google search to find out where the term “upper 90” originated and it didn’t turn up much on the history. Feel free to e-mail me if you know. My immediate guess is that it might be a mathematics thing. The goal is rectangular in shape (a quadrilateral) and, thus, its four corners form right angles, which are 90 degrees. A kick that’s directed toward one of the top corners literally goes into the upper 90-degree angle of the goal… Or it could be one of those sports terms that has nothing to do with anything but the sport. Either way, jot this down, kids. We drop knowledge on this blog. You can tell your teacher or show off to your friends. Because, really, ain’t nothing cooler than this.)

Back to regularly scheduled programming: “It was the best goal I’ve seen him score,” the coach gushed. “Where he put it, I don’t know if anybody would’ve been able to reach that, not even an all-American.”

Rodney, who led Nassau with 33 goals last year, is off to a superb start with six goals and six assists in seven games.

So good are his legs that he’s also kicking for the football team. Entering his senior season, Rodney decided he wanted to expand his resume and extend his foot to football – as have a few other elite soccer players.

Elmont coach Jay Hegi is “psyched” to have him because he’s got enough leg strength to get lots of touchbacks on kickoffs.

But one coach’s excitement is another’s fear. As my conversation with Corvetti drifted to Rodney’s place kicking, his apprehensiveness quickly surfaced. Really, because he wasn’t trying at all to hide it.

“It definitely worries me, him playing football for the first time,” the soccer coach said.

Rodney (5-10, 180, if you're wondering), who has already commit to the University of Virginia for soccer, is putting himself in some danger.

The position of kicker, obviously, isn’t the most parlous or physically demanding in football, but it certainly has its risks. As in a kicker overexerting himself and straining leg muscles looking to drill field goals and going for great distance on kickoffs; as in the kicker getting blocked awkwardly or having to make the tackle on a long kick return.

“I told him about the possibility of that happening,” Corvetti continued, “but it’s his call. All I can do is make him aware. He really wants to do it and it's his senior year, so I don't want to take that away from him.”

- Stephen Haynes

Class AA
1: 4-0-1 Massapequa-8
2: 5-0-1 Aquinas-5
3: 2-1-0 Long Island St. Anthony's-CHS
4: 6-0-0 Union-Endicott-4
5: 3-0-0 East Islip-11
6: 3-0-0 Sachem East-11
7: 5-0-0 Bethlehem-2
8: 7-0-0 Baldwinsville-3
9 4-0-0 Connetquot-11
10: 4-0-1 Saratoga-2
11: 4-1-1 Vestal-4
12: 5-0-0 Auburn-3
13: 4-0-1 Kenmore West-6
14: 3-0-1 Brockport-5
15: 3-2-0 Ballston Spa-2
16: 3-1-0 C-NS-3
17: 5-0-1 Greece Athena-5
18: 2-0-0 Mamaroneck-1
19: 3-0-0 John Jay EF-1
20: 3-0-2 Corning West-4
20: 1-1-1 Farmingdale-8

Class A
1: 5-0-0 Victor-5
2: 2-0-2 Island Trees-8
3: 2-0-0 Islip-11
4: 4-2-1 Burnt Hills-2
5: 6-0-0 Cortland-3
6: 2-1-1 Sayville-11
7: 5-0-0 Holy Names-2
8: 4-0-0 New Hyde Park-8
9: 5-0-1 Maine-Endwell-4
10: 3-0-1 Somers-1
11: 4-1-0 Williamsville East-6
12: 3-1-1 Grand Island-6
13: 8-0-0 Palmyra-Macedon-5
14: 4-0-0 Cornwall-9
15: 4-1-0 Ichabod Crane-2
15: 2-2-0 Huntington-11

Class B
1: 6-0-0 Lansing-4
2: 6-0-0 Livonia-5
3: 7-0-0 Nichols-AIS
4: 5-0-0 Tamarac-2
5: 9-0-0 Potsdam-10
6: 3-0-0 Briarcliff-1
7: 6-0-1 Clinton-3
8: 4-1-0 Marcellus-3
9: 5-0-0 Chenango Forks-4
10: 2-3-0 Mattituck-11
11: 2-0-1 East Aurora-6
12: 6-1-0 Mynderse-5
13: 4-1-0 Ravena-2
14: 7-0-0 Dryden-4
15: 4-1-1 Homer-3
15: 5-0-0 Chatham-2

Class C
1: 3-1-0 Hoosick Falls-2
2: 7-0-0 Bloomfield-5
3: 6-0-0 St. Lawrence-10
4: 6-0-2 Stillwater-2
5: 6-1-0 Caledonia-Mumford-5
6: 6-0-0 Sidney-4
7: 6-0-0 Thousand Islands-3
8: 5-0-0 Geneseo-5
9: 6-1-0 Plattsburgh Seton-7
10: 4-0-0 Schoharie-2
11: 3-0-0 Holland-6
12: 4-0-1 York-5
13: 4-1-1 Marathon-4
14: 6-0-0 Fort Plain-2
15: 6-0-0 Mohawk-3

Class D:
1: 5-0-0 Florida-9
2: 7-0-0 Edmeston-4
3: 5-1-1 Chazy-7
4: 6-0-0 Jasper-Troupsburg-5
5: 5-0-0 McGraw-3
6: 8-0-0 Davenport-4
7: 6-0-0 Hamilton-3
8: 8-0-1 Harrisville-10
9: 4-1-1 Ellicottville-6
10: 6-0-0 Cherry Valley-Springfield-4
11: 3-1-0 New Lebanon-2
12: 6-1-1 Keshequa-5
13: 4-0-1 Genesee Valley-5
14: 6-0-0 Remsen-3
15: 4-1-1 Fillmore-5

With five goals and two assists in two games, you could say that Zach Santangelo is off to a decent start. The senior halfback has been knifing through defenses and hitting the holes (Because he’s a halfback. Get it? Because… never mind) and the 2007 All-State selection has propelled New Hyde Park to a 2-0 record.

Through two games, the team has nine goals. But, according to coach Jeff Kaiser, Santangelo is scoring a lot because he isn’t trying too hard to score (There’s a joke to be made there, but it’s family blog).

“He has great field sense,” the coach said. “He can take over a game by keeping the flow.”

Uh-huh. Coach is clearly familiar with the “Wu Wei” teachings of Taoism. The belief, if I recall, is that the wise man knows when to act and when not to; he does without doing and, thus, allows the universe to continue its natural flow.

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing…
- Lao Tse (ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher)

Gimme a second, I’ll bring it back to soccer… Producing without possessing is what Santangelo has done. He needn’t ball-hog to score. And instead of the universe maintaining its flow, it’s his team’s offense.

Like that transition?

“He has a great ability to finish, but he also knows where to make the play and where to send the ball,” Kaiser continued. “Zach’s the focus, but that's not his concern. He’s about getting wins. We have 10 guys on the field that are willing to do the same thing and that's why they're good. Teams that are unselfish tend to score a lot.”

Ball movement, kids. That’s what gits'r done.

- Stephen Haynes

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Mineola's Nuno Rodrigues played so much soccer over the summer that coach Paul Pereira thought he needed some time to rest. Rodrigues was held out of Mineola's first three games this season, including a, 1-0, Conference ABC-I loss to Garden City on Sept. 11.

But so far it looks like the move is paying off as Rodrigues look pretty refreshed Wednesday.

Rodrigues, who possess an extremely accurate shot, had a hand in all four of Mineola's goals.

He scored three times in a 4-2 win over Roslyn. His third goal, and fourth of the season, came on a penalty kick to give Mineola a 4-1 lead with 12 minutes left.

The senior also sent a perfectly placed 35-yard through ball to Marco Oliveira, who chipped it over the goalie to give Mineola (3-2-0, 2-1-0) a 2-0 lead in the 22nd minute.

The All-Long Island and All-Region selection had 15 goals and five assists last season and looks like he is on his way to another stellar year.

Next up for Mineola is Jericho on Friday. Conference ABC-I has been extremely competitive so far. Mineola, Jericho, Cold Spring Harbor and Garden City all have two league wins. No team will be running away with this one.

BY ADAM RONIS

It was just the first league game of the season. There's a long way to go in the season. Forget all that. Don't tell that to the Connetquot girls soccer team. This was more than just another game. Posters were on the wall throughout the school urging fans to come to the game against Northport, one of the best teams in Suffolk for quite some time. Fans were vocal and a few boys had letters pained on their chest spelling "C-Q-U-O-T."

Danielle Murino, who endured two losing seasons her first two seasons, scored 2:07 into the game for her eighth goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Northport. It's the first time anyone could recall beating Northport. The teams tied once last season.

Many coaches told me last season that Connetquot would be dangerous this season. They are 5-0 overall. It was an even first half, but Connetquot controlled play in the second half and Northport goalkeeper Meredith Maguire made some great saves to keep the game close.

Don't bury Northport, though. They are 1-2, but lost to perennial powerhouse Massapequa 2-1 on a goal with 46 seconds left. Tom Fazio always has his team make deep postseason runs. They lost in the final last season.

But on Tuesday it was all about Connetquot, which won the first playoff game in program history last season. Just three years ago, Connetquot was 1-9 in league play. Now, they are a serious contender in Suffolk Class AA.

Here's the link to the story.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/highschool/soccer/ny-sknorth0917,0,5421441.story

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

If you play for West and North Babylon you don't know what a loss feels like. They are a combined 10-0 this season, so let's take a quick look at each of them and where their next big tests will come.

North Babylon: At a perfect 5-0 they have so far proven to be a formidable foe. The win that really grabs your attention is a 4-3 victory over Half Hollow Hills East. Antonio Crespi scored the winner with 3:14 left in League III. He finished with two goals and two assists and Leo Fernandes added a goal and two assists. Crespi is tied for third on Long Island in points with nine and Fernandes is tied for fifth with eight. It has a date with a hot Smithtown East squad on Sept. 23. East is 4-0-1 and boasts a 0-0 tie with Half Hollow Hills West. The game could go a long way to deciding the League III title.

West Babylon: It doesn't have the big win on the resume like North Babylon, but the one thing West Babylon has done is look impressive in its wins. It beat Wyandanch 6-0, Rocky Point 4-1, and Deer Park 3-0. Its 1-0 win over Riverhead on a Frank Essig goal, his fifth of the season, on a pass from Franco Aiuto in the 23rd minute got it off to a good start in League IV. Chris Muhs made six saves in his fourth shutout of the season. Up next is a solid Bellport team on Sept. 17 and Smithtown West, a team better than its record, on Sept 23. Those two games will show if West Babylon is a serious contender for the league title.

Class AA
1: 1-0-0 Massapequa-8
2: 4-0-0 Aquinas-5
3: 0-1-0 Long Island St. Anthony’s-CHS
4: 4-0-0 Union-Endicott-4
5: 0-0-0 Sachem East-11
6: 1-0-0 Arlington-1
7: 2-0-0 Bethlehem-2
8: 2-0-1 Webster Thomas-5
9: 2-0-0 Ballston Spa
10: 4-0-0 Kenmore West-6
11: 0-0-0 Ward Melville-11
12: 1-0-0 Mamaroneck-1
13: 2-0-0 Ballston Spa-2
14: 4-0-0 Baldwinsville-3
15: 0-0-0 Monroe-Woodbury-9
16: 0-0-0 Smithtown West-11
17: 4-0-1 Vestal-4
18: 3-0-1 Brockport-5
19: 1-1-0 C-NS-3
20: 2-0-2 Corning West-4

Class A
1: 3-0-0 Victor-5
2: 1-0-0 Island Trees-8
3: 1-1-0 Rockville Ctr. Southside-8
4: 0-0-0 Islip-11
5: 2-1-1 Burnt Hills-2
6: 4-0-0 Maine-Endwell-4
7: 3-0-1 Somers-1
8: 5-0-0 Cortland-3
9: 4-1-0 Williamsville East-6
10: 0-0-0 Sayville-11
11: 3-0-0 Holy Names-2
12: 3-0-0 Grand Island-6
13: 5-0-0 Palmyra-Macedon-5
14: 5-0-0 Chenango Forks-4
15: 0-0-0 Lourdes-1

Class B
1: 3-0-0 Briarcliff-1
2: 4-0-0 Lansing-4
3: 4-0-0 Livonia-5
4: 3-0-0 Nichols-AIS
5: 3-0-0 Tamarac-2
6: 6-0-0 Potsdam-10
7: 0-0-0 Bayport-Blue Point-11 (Now in Class A)
8: 2-0-1 East Aurora-6
9: 5-0-0 Mynderse-5
10: 5-0-0 Plattsburgh-7
11: 4-0-1 Clinton-3
12: 4-1-0 Marcellus-3
13: 3-0-0 Marlboro-9
14: 2-1-0 Ravena-2
15: 4-0-0 Bronxville-1
15: 5-0-0 Dryden-4

Class C
1: 2-0-0 Hoosick Falls-2
2: 0-0-0 Florida-9
3: 4-0-0 Bloomfield-5
4: 2-0-0 St. Lawrence-10
5: 3-0-1 Caledonia-Mumford-5
6: 1-0-2 Stillwater-2
7: 5-0-0 Elmira ND-4
8: 3-0-0 Holland-6
9: 0-0-0 Plattsburgh Seton-7
10: 0-0-0 Stony Brook-11

Sachem East's Eddie Bejarano, right, gets pressured by Patchogue-Medford's Michael Carroll (Photo by James A. Escher / September 12, 2008)

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

West Islip struggled at the start with losses in its first two games, but the Lions earned an all important League II win over Bay Shore, 2-1, in double overtime yesterday.

Jason Bohman finished a cross from Derek Schmitt 6:00 into the second overtime for West Islip. Jerry Nobile tied the score at 1 for West Islip in the 74th minute. Justin Rivera opened the scoring for Bay Shore in the 26th minute with a shot from 22 yards.

It says a lot about a team to be able to battle back in the pouring rain, after watching the other team's best player beat you for goal. This could be the start of a nice little winning streak for West Islip.

This game was just one of four matches that were won 2-1 into extra time yesterday.

Mulligan's goals leds Patchogue-Medford

James Mulligan scored twice, including the winner off a pass from Brandon Alevas in the 81st minute to lift Patchogue-Medford to a win over Sachem East in League I. Michael Molinare assisted on Mulligan's first goal. Ryan Hempfling scored off a cross from Anthony Ferrara in the 15th minute to open the scoring for Sachem East. The win improved Patchogue-Medford to 2-0, but it has a date with Brentwood coming on Sept. 15.

Connetquot tops Kings Park

Justin Bertone scored off a feed from Anthony Johnson in the second overtime to win it for Connetquot over Kings Park in non-league. The win is Connetquot's first of the season. Stephen Eicher opened the scoring with a goal for Kings Park in the second half. Johnson scored on a corner kick from Justin Bertone to tie the score at 1.

Benevidez lifts Bellport over Eastport-South Manor

Noel Benevidez scored on an assist from Chris Rupolo at the five minute mark of the first overtime to lift Bellport over Eastport-South Manor. Rupolo tied the game at 1 two minutes into the second half for Bellport, which earned its first win of the year.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Connor Stockton is sure making up for lost time. The Westhampton senior has already scored five goals in three games this season including four against Southampton on Sept. 8 after missing all of last season with a broken foot.

Even with all the missed time Stockton was ranked as one of Suffolk's top players going into the season. We are certainly seeing why.

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Hey soccer fans, we've got plenty of material today to feed your high-school sports appetite.

First up, here are the Nassau, Suffolk and CHSAA boys soccer previews, and here are 10 players to watch in Nassau. The top-10 rankings can be found in each preview.

Now onto the girls. Here is the Nassau preview and 10 players to watch, and the same for Suffolk.

That should keep everyone busy for a little while. But here's a little extra for all you Suffolk girls soccer fans:

-Yesterday, we nearly saw one of the top-10 teams go down, as North Babylon was pushed to the brink by West Islip. North Bab has had a rocky start to the season, but I expect an uptick soon. Jenny Melton is coming off an ACL tear at the end of last season, striker Emily Ude is just a freshman and the Bulldogs have a new coach in Stephen Corrado. Though Corrado worked as an assistant prior to taking over head-coaching duties, it still takes time for a team to get used to a new regime. Having speedster Bria Hartley bail you out in the overtime period of a non-league game certainly helps. North Babylon's next big test will come on Thursday, when the team travels to Smithtown West to face Katherine Van Son and the rest of the talented Bulls.

-Also yesterday, Connetquot continued its hot start with a 3-1 win over Bellport. Danielle Murino has been spectacular in the early-going this season. She scored her seventh goal yesterday in just the team's fourth game. An extremely tough matchup looms on Tuesday at Northport in the League II opener. If the T-Birds' defense can keep up with its blistering offense, a league title could be on the horizon.

-And finally, an intriguing matchup from yesterday, as Class AA state semifinalist Sachem East squared off against Class B state semifinalist Bayport-Blue Point (which has since moved up to Class A). Kudos to BBP coach Russ McCormack for scheduling tough non-league games in preparation for the talented teams the Phantoms will most likely see later this year in the playoffs (such as Islip and Sayville). The teams played an even first half, but Sachem East's depth was too much for BBP to handle in the second, as Jamie Smith scored twice to give the Flaming Arrows a 3-1 win.

Plenty more quality games on tap today, including Smithtown East at East Islip in the League III opener and Sayville visiting Eastport-South Manor in a battle of two of League V's elite. Sayville and ESM lost their openers and are looking to get back on track today.

Okay, that's all for now. See ya'll out on the pitch!

BY ADAM RONIS

Chaminade coach Mike Gallagher said the first half was one of the worst 45 minutes he has seen from a Flyers team in many years against St. John the Baptist Thursday. He challenged his team at halftime and asked the if they had it in them to at least get a tie. The answer was resounding.

After trailing 2-1 at the half, Chaminade, the two-time defending CHSAA state champions, pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win on the road after trailing 2-0 25 minutes into the game.

"It's a great win early on in the season," Gallagher said. "It's a good win for this group."

Chaminade is the defending champs, but graduated 15 players, so this is a different group. Meanwhile, SJB lost just four starters. SJB (4-2, 1-1) has won the CHSAA regular season the last two seasons only to lose to Chaminade (4-0, 2-0) in the final both seasons in overtime.

Northeastern-bound Donald Anding, who missed time with a myriad of injuries last season, scored with 29:03 left to tie the score at 2 and scored the winner on a shot e curved to the left top corner of the net with 14:09 left in the game.

"I expect him to score goals," Gallagher said. "Most high school kids would try to blast the ball past the goalkeeper. He curved into the upper corner with finesse. It was a great goal against an excellent keeper [Brendan Lafferty]."

Brandon Seldana played the second half in goal for Chaminade and was phenomenal. He made saves, including a leaping save minutes after the winning goal that he deflected off his hand that hit the crossbar.

"This was a great win," he said. "This was a test to see where we are."

Said Anding: "It's a great confidence booster. We had a tough time in our last game. This is a turning point for us."

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

My first impression of Brentwood after talking to coach Ron Eden was how explosive and prolific they could be on offense.

"We are loaded up top," Eden said. "This is the year were I have the most quality finishers up top."

The Indians have scored nine goals in three game, including four each against Central Islip and West Islip. Even so, the thing I am most impressed with so far is its defensive numbers. Brentwood has given up just one goal in its three games, but also take a look at the save numbers for the goalies. The most saves Danny Hernandez and Edison Hildago have had to make in any game is four.

So Brentwood is not only turning away quality shots, they are barely giving them up. The combination of that kind of offense and defense if the reason why Brentwood is ranked 10th in the nation by NSCAA/Adidas and the early favorite to reclaim the Suffolk AA title.

"We are not afraid of the of the bulls eye on the back," Eden said. "We have been there for so long that we're expecting it."

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Sure it's still September, but there has not been a shortage of big time boys soccer match ups in Suffolk County this season.

Just yesterday Ward Melville used an Andrew Zimmerman goal on a pass from Chris DiFiore to beat Smithtown West despite 10 saves from Thomas Kirnbauer.

The Bulls suffered another close loss on Sept. 8, 3-2, to Newfield when Steven Lopes scored the winner off an assist from Kyle Schlesinger with 10:00 left in the game.

The same day Southhold knocked off Center Moriches 2-1 behind two first half goals from Matt Ellis, East Islip upset West Islip 2-0 and Commack played Half Hollow Hills West to a 2-2 tie.

Nationally-ranked Bretwood held off Bay Shore 1-0 on Sept. 7.

That is just a taste. There is plenty more to come.

If you have a big game or big win prior to Sept. 10 you want mentioned feel free to let me know. Make sure to tell me why it was so important.

I meant Port Washington vs. Massapequa.

Ohio State and USC aren’t the only regnant, upper-echelon football programs squaring off at the end of this week. The soccer (“football,” as it’s known outside the United States) teams will face each other Friday afternoon in what has potential to be an early-season preview of the Class AA title bout.

The teams, Nassau's elite, grabbed the top two seeds last year. Massapequa went 9-3-3 and stormed through the playoffs en route to their second consecutive championship. Port Washington had a New England Patriots-esque run, going undefeated in the regular season and entering the playoffs as the preeminent favorite. They came up short, though, falling to Syosset in the semi-finals.

Port Washington is 2-0 with non-league wins over Great Neck North and Manhasset (a 6-0 drubbing). Massapequa went 0-2 against the CHSAA (losses to St. Anthony’s and Chaminade) but topped in-conference rival Oceanside last night, 3-2, in the first league match of the season.

And, on Friday, the two locomotives will head full-steam toward each other (or they'll take 10 paces at high noon – 4:30, actually – with “Ecstasy of Gold” playing in the background). Pick a metaphor, but it'll be a showdown and it'll be big.

HOWEVAH, Massapequa coach Keith Stanley is leaving it to us (and you) to supply the hype, saying the outcome of the game won’t matter too much to him. “Wuh? Come again!” you say, quizzically. In his words:

“I just want us to play well. I’m not that concerned about the result. I think if we play well, play hard and stay poised, by the end of the season, we’ll be ready to compete for the title. I don't think we’ve won the first two games of our season the last couple years. It's a nice way to start, but it’s not normal for us. We usually take a while to get going.”

Maybe a little superstition there. Either way, getcha popcorn ready.

- Stephen Haynes