-------Recap-------

For most teams, finishing a season with a record of 17-2 would be satisfying but that wasn’t case for the returning players from the 2021 Varsity Boys Soccer team.   Losing to Chaminade in the championship served as motivation throughout the entire offseason.

This year’s team was committed and dedicated to being different and it became different each and every day going back to Futsal Training sessions to informal 7 v 7’s, to Summer Camp, to Tryouts in August. While the 2021 roster was loaded with talent, the 2022 roster morphed

Into an unforgettable team, a group of brothers who were always there for each other, and who epitomized the definition of family, and ignited the 2022 Saint Anthony’s Friars to winning the League Championship, and winning the State Semifinal.  The Friars were riding an undefeated season into the State Final having gone 10-0-2 in League play culminating in a League Semifinal win over Kellenberg and a very satisfying victory in the League Championship game defeating Chaminade.  The season was full of team accomplishments in the classroom and on the field. The wins began to pile up as the team played a rigorous schedule and defeated the likes of

St. John the Baptist, Kellenberg, Archbishop Molloy, Pingry, Seton Hall Prep, and Msgr. Farrell.

The Friars finished their Championship season with a record of 17-1-2 and will return to the pitch in 2023 on a quest for a State Championship.

Team Scholar - Cian Llerena

MVP - Joseph Joannou

JoJo is a two -year Varsity player who was the glue to the best defense in our League.  He anchored the defensive third and led the way to 12 shutouts and a defense that gave up only 9 goals on the season. His commitment, dedication, work ethic, and leadership for 83+ days earned him the distinction as our 2022 Team Most Valuable Player. JoJo was also named the MVP of the League Championship game.

Coach Corrao has been coaching soccer for thirty-six years and just completed his twentieth season with the Boys Varsity Soccer Program. During that time frame, the Friars have posted an overall record of 323-63-35.

Over that 20-year span, the Friars have finished in first place 15 times, won 10 League Championships, have finished as State finalists three times and State Champions five times.

In addition to the program’s success on the field, Coach Corrao is very proud of the number of student athletes in the program who excel in the classroom and receive All-Academic honors each year – this year which applies to 75% of the roster.

By Roger Rub November 5, 2022

The St. Anthony’s boys soccer team had conquered every obstacle except one this season. Twice they’d faced defending Catholic school champion Chaminade and each time they’d come away with a tie. When they got their third shot on Saturday – in the biggest game of the season to date – the Friars weren’t about to let it get away.

Zach Tanner made sure of it in the game’s 40th minute when he took a centering pass from Colin Johnston from the left wing, turned to the goal and fired a shot into the lower right corner of the net. His goal stood up as St. Anthony’s played a fabulous defensive game and finally grounded the Flyers for a 1-0 victory in the Nassau/Suffolk CHSAA championship game at Mitchel Athletic Complex.

St. Anthony’s (16-0-3) is the Long Island Catholic champion for the 25th time and third time in the last four years. The Friars will meet the Archdiocese of New York champion in a Friday night state semifinal at St. John’s University.

“We played like we wanted it more,” Tanner said. “We didn’t win it last year and they did. We got better and we were very motivated.”

Tanner, appropriately, was announced as the conference Player of the Year after the game. Center back Joe Joannou, who made big plays on the defensive end, was selected MVP of the title game. Chaminade’s Mike Gallagher was tabbed conference Coach of the Year.

‘What you saw tonight was team that got big games from a lot of different players – we played terrific,” St. Anthony’s coach Don Corrao said. “A record of 16-0-3 says a lot. It speaks to how outstanding we are as a team.”

Johnston was on the wing when he saw a window to center it to Tanner late in the first half for the goal.

“There was that eye contact,” Tanner said. “We are always looking for each other.

Added Johnston: “It was a big opportunity and he made the most of it.”

Chaminade (14-4-2) didn’t get that many scoring opportunities, in part because the Friars focused on taking away the long ball. But when they did, the goals didn’t materialize.

With 30 minutes left their best shot came off the post and Joannou headed it out of danger. The Flyers’ Garrett Smith made a breakaway bid for a goal with about 10 minutes left but it ended with Tanner making a sliding takeaway.

“We didn’t finish at the end on our chances,” Smith said.

“When things got really tough, our back line held together,” Joannou said. “We played the way you have to if you want to win a championship.”

BOYS SOCCER

Please wear a white T-shirt each day with name printed on back. Have shin guards, cleats, running shoes, water and a ball each day. 

Monday August 22nd  @Cy Donnelly

FRESHMEN 3:30 - 5:00 PM

SOPHOMORES 5:00 - 6:30 PM

VARSITY 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Tuesday August 23rd @Cy Donnelly

FRESHMEN 3:30 - 5:00 PM

SOPHOMORES 5:00 - 6:30 PM

VARSITY 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Wednesday August 24th @Cy Donnelly

VARSITY 10:00 - 11:30 AM

SOPHOMORES 12:45 - 2:15 PM

FRESHMEN 2:15 - 3:45 PM

Gentlemen,

The Boys Soccer Program has a long and proud tradition of excellence. We seek student

athletes with character, determination, and the heart and desire to be the best on and off the

pitch.

Our coaching staff is committed and dedicated to fielding teams that will go on to compete

at the highest levels. We are very excited about the upcoming 2022 Fall Season, and urge

you all to be prepared for tryouts – physically and mentally.

To wear the Black & Gold, and to compete at this highest level requires that you report

to tryouts game fit. By now, each player should be working out with and without the ball.

If you are not present for tryouts, you will not be eligible to participate on our soccer teams.

Please be prepared, report 30 minutes before your actual tryout time. Please wear a white

t-shirt with your name printed on the back. Please bring shin guards, soccer shoes, running

shoes, and water to last you for each tryout session.

Please note: If you make one of our teams, preseason training sessions will start on August 25th and continues to the start of school.

Good luck to all of you and I look forward to seeing you on August 22, 23, 24.

St. Anthony’s Zach Tanner maneuvered through heavy traffic in front of the Flyers’ goal found the feed from Colin Johnston and headed the ball into the right side of the netting with 2:12 left in the game to tie to tie the score at 2. And so the visiting Friars salvaged a positive after staring down another defeat at the hands of Chaminade for more than 30 minutes.

Last season the teams split their regular-season contests before Chaminade’s overtime victory in the Diocesan championship game en route to winning the state Catholic title.

“I wouldn’t say ‘happy’ about the result but, given where things stood [close to] the end of the game, it’s better than nothing,” Johnston said. “We were the more aggressive team for a lot of the second half. We should have converted more chances.”

“When you’re up 2-1, you have to put the game away and we didn’t manage the game well enough,” Chaminade coach Michael Gallagher said. “This is painful for us. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.”

Chris Thorsen put a long ball in front of Tanner who sidestepped onrushing keeper Andrew Marotta and put a cross-field shot into the right side of the goal to make it 1-0 for the Friars (3-0-2, 3-0-1) in the 33rd minute of the first half.

Chaminade (3-0-1, 0-0-1) stormed to the lead with two goals in less than two minutes early in the second half. Brady Reis had a good look from about 10 yards out but made the extra pass to Thomas Herzog; he redirected it to Joseph Sayers, who beat keeper Dan Van Arsdale from two yards out with 35:08 to play.

A little more than a minute later Reis turned a long ball into a corner kick opportunity and Herzog put it right on the head of Eric Oldenborg for a beautiful score and a 2-1 Flyers lead.

“The placement and the timing of his kick was perfect,” Oldenborg said.

From that point on, the tenor of the game was different as the Friars were constantly on attack and the Flyers – with strong play by Garrett Smith – kept warding them off.

In the final 25 minutes, St. Anthony’s had more than a half dozen decent scoring opportunities. They all ended with either a Flyer stepping in front of the shot or Marotta making one of his eight saves. Johnston-to-Tanner was the breakthrough and Tanner’s fifth goal of the season.

“We look for each other,” Tanner said. “The communication in all that traffic was great.”

Van Arsdale made eight saves for the Friars.

For Chaminade, this could be a look-in-the-mirror moment. Oldenborg said “when we’re up, we get satisfied.”

“This is a win for St. Anthony’s,” Herzog said. “We know we can play better than this and we look forward to playing again. We know how to beat them and we will beat them.”

A quick look at the 2022 Fall Boys Soccer Team

Number of veterans returning:
There are four starters returning this year

Top returning players to watch for:
John Oualaalou, Justin Alves, Chris Thorsen, Joe Joannou, Zach Tanner, Colin Johnston, & Matt Lourenco

This year Captains
TBD 

Who do you feel will be the toughest match/outing this season:
The schedule is very challenging both league and non-league teams.

Expectations for this year's team/season
To come together as a family, as a team and compete every day

Newcomers to watch out for
Anthony Nielsen, Aristeo Aniceto, Kris Godoy, Justin Ramirez, & Nick Ferrara