by Alex Carmenaty
In a contest that saw 17 total goals, Syosset played host to Massapequa in the semifinals of the Nassau County playoffs. The Braves, who are the No.1 seed in the playoffs, defeated the No. 4 seeded Chiefs 13-4 in the semifinals of the Nassau County playoffs. Syosset saw itself play in its first playoff contest against the Chiefs since 2019, where Massapequa defeated the Braves in the county championship game that season.
The Chiefs started strong, scoring the first goal of the game minutes into the contest. Junior midfielder Vincent McDermott put the Chiefs ahead with a spiraling shot in the first quarter. That goal would spark 16 more goals between each club, with Syosset scoring two unanswered right after conceding the first strike.
Syosset senior attacker AJ Alexander, who scored four total goals in the matchup, rallied the troops for Syosset. The Braves would lead 5-2 after 30 minutes of play. Syosset would explode after halftime, as the contest saw the Braves tally eight goals in the second half.
“We have seen this [Massapequa] team in the playoffs a lot. Going down 1-0 gave us some bad taste, but we came back and it felt great,” Alexander said when asked about the outcome.
As Alexander scored four goals, senior attacker Danny Garone registered two goals and an assist. Senior attacker Joe Bueti and senior midfielder Stephen DeStephani also totaled two goals apiece, contributing to the majority of the 13 Syosset goals scored.
Massapequa junior midfielder Anthony Mollica would fire a sharp shot to the top of the right corner in the third period, though Syosset would outscore the Chiefs 8-2 to end the game.
Alexander, who has played several seasons with the Braves, grows a step closer to claiming a county title, a title that would be his first. “I’ve never been a county champion and I would like to accomplish that this year. It has been a great year and it would be a great year to win a championship, ” Alexander stated about wanting to finish his high school career on top.
The Braves will go onto play Farmingdale in the county championship on June 15 at Mitchell Field. After playing for a county title last season, Syosset has a chance to win the county championship two years after losing at Hofstra.
