St. Anthony's boys soccer teammates salute their friends and family members in the stands after their 3-0 win over Archbishop Molloy in the state CHSAA championship game at St. John's University on Nov. 10, 2019. Credit: James Escher

By Sal Cacciatore Newsday

In the biggest game of a season that featured a range of trying circumstances, St. Anthony’s earned a victory that resonated beyond the soccer field.

The Friars defeated Archbishop Molloy, 3-0, on Nov. 10 to win the CHSAA state boys soccer title. Tt was the team’s first since 2014, yet the players and coaches stressed that it meant much more than that.

The game sent head coach Gene Buonaiuto into retirement with a win, and also honored a number of figures in the Friars’ family who dealt with illness during the season, in addition to the memory of former player Ryan Mullen, who died in an accident last season at age 15.

“I couldn't be prouder of the guys for what we were able to accomplish this past year,” said midfielder Matt Mitchell, one of the Friars’ captains. “We really did struggle this year, but we picked each other up and were there for each other on and off the field.

“We would put tape on our wrists every game. On one wrist, we would write ‘R.M. 5’ for Ryan and the other was for our friends’ dad who was ill during the season. Not only were the league and state championships for them, but the entire season.”

The season had its share of adversity on the field as well, as a rough patch meant St. Anthony’s (16-7-2) ended the regular season in a tie for third place in the CHSAA. A coin toss would then determine the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, with the loser having to face four-time reigning state champion and top-seeded Chaminade.

“That was different for us and humbling at the same time," assistant coach Don Corrao said, "but we were also able to look guys straight in the eye and ask: ‘How do you want to be remembered here?’”

St. Anthony’s lost the coin toss, but that would be its final defeat of 2019, as Jake Donahue’s 30-yard goal was the decisive strike in a 1-0 win over Chaminade. In the final against No. 2 Kellenberg, the Friars overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit after Donahue tied the score to force overtime, where Dalton Dancy scored the winner.

Kellenberg’s first-half goal was the only one St. Anthony’s allowed in four postseason games, thanks to a strong defensive effort led by Dylan McCrary, Brian Smith and goalkeeper Christian Micheli.

After Micheli helped St. Anthony’s to a penalty shootout win over Fordham Prep in the state semifinals, the Friars prepared for the championship match, where the season’s final big moment occurred before kickoff.

Said Corrao: “Right before we took the field in the state final...I said, ‘we have to win this for a lot of reasons, and a big one is this is Coach Buonaiuto’s last game.”

“Once we heard that, everybody was locked in,” Mitchell said. “After all the years of work he put in, he deserved to be sent off with a state championship.”

A strong effort ensured this would be the case, as Donahue scored two goals and Julian Wicik added a third.

“This is sweet, to go out this way. It’s great,” the 83-year-old Buonaiuto said after winning his fifth state final to cap a 34-year run as Friars head coach.

“I’ve been his sidekick for 19 years and I’m going to miss him a great deal,” Corrao said, while also praising the players for both sending him out on top and ending a trying season on a high note. “The character that these kids showed down the stretch really puts them in some very special company in terms of the teams that we've coached here.”

Gene Buonaiuto held up the plaque, and the 83-year-old coach’s players joyously jumped up and down around him on the St. John’s turf. There could be no better way for him to head off into retirement, with happiness on his face and a championship trophy in his hands.

The St. Anthony’s boys varsity soccer players made it happen for Buonaiuto, the rest of the staff and themselves Sunday against Archbishop Molloy. In the final game of Buonaiuto’s 35-year varsity run, the Friars gave him his fifth CHSAA state title and first since 2014 with a 3-0 win over the Stanners at Belson Stadium.

“It means a lot,” Buonaiuto said. “This is sweet, to go out this way. It’s great.”

Buonaiuto has coached the varsity since 1985 and been with the program since 1977. Regarding his retirement, he said, “I’ll be 84 in February, so I figured it’s time.”

The Long Island champs gave Buonaiuto his retirement present by breaking free from the Brooklyn/Queens champs in the second half, during which they scored all three goals, including a pair by senior striker Jake Donahue.

“We played the whole game for him,” Donahue said. “It was all for him. We knew we had to win for him, and that was an awesome feeling.”

The first goal came 9:01 into that second half. Donahue buried a rebound after Brendan Ferguson stopped Nick Giannola’s shot from the right side of the box.

Donahue added another with 19:50 remaining. Julian Wicik took out more insurance, scoring from in front with 8:28 left.

“We played as a team, and everybody was calm,” Donahue said. “We’re just a championship team. That’s it.”

When it was still 2-0, Christian Micheli made two sensational saves to keep it that way, including a leap to deflect a shot over the bar. The junior goalkeeper also deflected a lot of credit.

“Our defense was amazing,” Micheli said. “They’ve been amazing all season. I’m happy that we were able to keep a clean sheet for the last game.”

The chances kept coming for St. Anthony’s in the first half. The goals did not.

“Our game plan was to really come out and put them on their heels, and I think to a large measure we did that,” assistant coach Don Corrao said. “But it’s a funny game. It took a little while.”

Archbishop Molloy coach Andy Kostel rued a few missed opportunities, but he said that “St. Anthony’s carried most of the play,” and he praised its coach.

“Gene and I have been coaching against each other for years,” Kostel said. “He’s the winningest coach and the best coach on Long Island, and I consider myself pretty good for New York. So I want to wish him the best in his retirement.”

Buonaiuto’s final team shined brightly in the postseason and finished 16-7-2.

“They just came through,” Buonaiuto said. “We went through a tough spell there for a little bit [during the regular season]. Then once they came back, there was no stopping them.”

St. Anthony's goaltender Micheli Christian (left) and Kellenberg's Kevin Marroquin go for the ball during the CHSAA boys soccer final on Saturday at Adelphi University. Photo Credit: Photo/video by Alan J Schaefer/Alan J Schaefer

By Sal Cacciatore Newsday

In a season that has come to be defined for beating the odds, perhaps it was fitting that the St. Anthony’s boys soccer team had to overcome a bit more adversity Saturday night before claiming its first league title in five years.

The Friars trailed midway through the second half, before Jake Donahue tied the score to force overtime. Dalton Dancy scored in overtime to give No. 4 St. Anthony’s a 2-1 win over No. 2 Kellenberg in the CHSAA league final at Adelphi.

“Coach was telling me I have to put more driving balls in, so I got the ball and drove one in,” said Dancy, who said his winning goal was actually a cross intended for Donahue. “I saw Jake making the run. I was hoping it would get to him, but when it over him and in, I just went crazy.

“I thought, ‘We did it, we finally did it.' "

It was the latest surprising turn for coach Gene Buonaiuto’s Friars (13-4-2), who have typically entered the postseason as one of the top two seeds in the league. This season, they were seeded fourth, pitting them against top-seeded Chaminade in the semifinals.

The Flyers had eliminated St. Anthony’s in each of the past four seasons, but thanks to a 30-yard strike from Donahue on Wednesday, the Friars flipped the script in a 1-0 victory to advance to Saturday’s final.

Kellenberg scored in the first half on a goal from Jack Quinlan for a 1-0 lead. St. Anthony’s began to create the bulk of the chances, but a stellar performance from goalie Theodore Healy kept the Firebirds in the lead.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these boys,” St. Anthony's assistant coach Don Corrao said. “We were underdogs on paper, but the test of a champion is how you get off that paper. We took some shots and struggled with our identity at times, but the team chemistry really came through when it really mattered.”

“We had a lot of ups and downs this season, but even though we came in fourth, we overcame everything,” said Dancy, who assisted on Donahue’s goal and earned most valuable player of the game honors. “We all came together, especially at the end of the season, and once the playoffs came around, we found a new energy and knew it would be our year.”