Massapequa vs Hicksville

HIGHLIGHTS

Massapequa 1, Hicksville 0: Say one thing for Massapequa's Ryan Leach -- he certainly has a flair for the dramatic. The junior striker scored both of the Chiefs' goals -- including the winner in the first overtime -- in Friday's semifinal win. On Monday, Leach made everyone hold their collective breath until the 106th minute. But for the Chiefs and their fans, it certainly was worth the wait. Leach blasted a laser inside the far left post with 4:50 left in the second, 15-minute, golden-goal overtime as No. 2 Massapequa out lasted top-seeded and host Hicksville, 1-0, in the Nassau AA boys soccer final. Back-to-back overtime winners from Lynch gives Massapequa (10-2-1) back-to-back AA crowns. "It means everything," said Lynch, who scored from inside the 18-yard box. "To bring home a county championship, it's just great." So was his finish which came suddenly in a game that seemed to be heading to penalty kicks. Chiefs' senior defender Michael Savella sent a long ball into the box that was deflected and found its way to Lynch, who scored Massapequa's final three goals of the postseason. "The ball just came to me. It happened real quick," he said. "I was just trying to finish it and . . . I just ripped it and put it in the back of the net." Interestingly, one of Hicksville's best players -- senior defender Anthony Bonilla -- went down with an injury and had to leave the game less than a minute earlier. "I kind of imagine," Hicksville coach Scott Starkey said, "we'd have cleared the ball if he's in the game." Still, Starkey was appreciative of both teams' efforts. "I'm really proud of my team. They came out and fought hard, but give it to Massapequa," he said. "They matched our intensity and matched our ability, and ultimately the ball bounced their way. . . . They're a quality program and they're here every year. They put themselves in a position to win and they buried it when it counted." Both teams had seven shots after regulation. The best chance of the match prior to the winner belonged to Hicksville (10-2-1). David Vides smashed the crossbar on a rocket with 3:24 left in the first half. The Comets also had a goal disallowed on an offside call in a well-played, highly-physical final. "I did feeling [a goal] coming. I believed the whole game," Massapequa midfielder Thomas O'Neil said. "We are such a fit team, that I thought in overtime we would take over." That was the exact message he and the Chiefs heard from their coach. "These guys are just incredible," Chiefs coach Matthew Burke said. "I told them before overtime, 'You're built for this.' And they just figured out a way to do it." Lynch recalled moving up to the varsity during the Chiefs' 2019 playoff run. "I was pulled up as a JV player, and to witness that [2019] Massapequa squad winning it was great," he said. "My coach told me, 'You're going to be back [in the final] in these moments and you have to be ready for them,' and it came true." As usual for Lynch and the Chiefs, in dramatic fashion. -30-