Farmingdale Soccer Advances to Regional Final After Corner Kick Clincher
Christian Graziano’s set pieces led the Dalers past Lindenhurst 2-1 in the Class AAA title game.
By Elena Perry ·
Two Long Island boys soccer programs met Wednesday night for the first time in a championship match. Farmingdale and Lindenhurst both entered the Class AAA final as first-time contenders for the regional title.
Farmingdale defeated Lindenhurst 2-1 to secure its first outright Nassau County championship. The Dalers improved their season record to 14-3-3. Coach Brian Weber described the team as hard-working grinders who show up in all weather conditions.
Christian Graziano delivered two corner kicks from the right side that directly led to the winning goals. Patrick Molite headed in the first corner to open scoring in the second half. Anthony Princi headed in the second corner with 5:24 remaining to seal the victory.
Lindenhurst had tied the match 1-1 in the second half. Gianni Lombardi scored the equalizer with 12:35 left after finding an open net. The Bulldogs had surged from a 2-5 start to an 11-1 run that included victories over Brentwood and Commack in the county playoffs.
Farmingdale overcame earlier season struggles to reach this stage. The team beat No. 6 Port Washington in the Nassau quarterfinals. It then defeated No. 2 Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK in double overtime. Senior goalkeeper Jonathan Buonomo saved every penalty kick in the final against Oceanside.
The Dalers will face Mamaroneck next. The Section I champions host the Southeast Regional final at noon Saturday. The match takes place at Byram Hills in Westchester.
