After Questionable Call In Double OT, Southampton Boys Soccer Falls To Mattituck In PKs In County Semis

In one game, the Southampton boys soccer team experienced the thrilling emotion of winning in double overtime and the excruciating pain of losing in a shootout.

Hosting Mattituck in the Suffolk County Class B semifinals on Thursday, October 28, Endrit Bedrolli’s goal with 2:23 remaining in double overtime was called off due to what the head official deemed “playing on the ground.” With the two teams knotted up at 1-1 after 80 minutes of regulation and a pair of 15-minute overtimes, a shootout was going to determine which team advanced to the county championship, and even then, one round of penalty kicks wasn’t enough as both teams went 4 for 5.

In the second round, after Bedrolli found the back of the net again, Mattituck sophomore goalie Jack Golder — who only entered into the game during the shootout after senior goalie Garrett Grathwohl took care of duties during regulation and overtime — stopped Nick Gonzalez’s shot, giving his team the edge. After senior co-captain Luke Couch was successful on Mattituck’s first try in the second round, it was up to sophomore Tommy McGunnigle to get one past Southampton junior goalie Andy Panza to clinch the victory, and that’s what he did, giving the Tuckers a 6-5 shootout victory.

In the county final, Mattituck forced another shootout with Babylon, but it was the Panthers who came out on top, 7-6, in PKs to claim the county title for the second straight season.

It was a gut-wrenching way to end the season for the Mariners, who stood atop the League VII standings for most of the season and had been highly ranked in the state coaches poll. Some might say that it was a questionable call that did the Mariners in. Was Bedrolli really playing on the ground as the official saw it and called it? Southampton head coach Dave Riley, who admitted he’s had days and numerous video angles and photos to review the play, honestly thought the goal should have stood up, but wasn’t ready to blame officials on the loss.

“From what I’ve seen, and I’ve had the opportunity now to look at the video multiple times at this point, the Mattituck player actually comes in and trips up both Endrit and his own goalie and knocks everybody down,” Riley explained. “Endrit gets up and definitely has both feet on the ground — so to say he was playing on the ground is a little tough. But again, I’ve looked at it so closely, the officials don’t have that luxury.”

Riley did say that the “playing from the ground” rule is kind of a subjective one that’s used inconsistently in the high school game. The actual rule is “dangerous play” where brief scenarios are explained in the rule book. Playing from the ground is only deemed dangerous depending on whether opposing players are in close proximity to one another.

Riley said he didn’t make a big deal about the call when it actually happened because he was more concerned with getting his players, who had rushed the field to celebrate what was thought to be a game-winning goal, to focus back on the game at hand, with just over two minutes remaining.

“I didn’t want them to slip up in the last two minutes and it be one of those games where we lost in the last 15 or 30 seconds, because we’ve had similar situations in the past where that has happened,” he explained. “Rather than focusing on the setback, I was trying to figure out who wasn’t paying attention. And I honestly figured we’d beat them in PKs because we had been practicing them since we qualified for playoffs in September.”

After a rather clean first half, Southampton came out of halftime and amped the pressure on Mattituck’s defense from the opening whistle of the second half. But it was the Tuckers who actually struck first, when sophomore Wesley Secaida intercepted what was a miscommunication between Southampton defenders Mason Stevens and Turner West. Secaida secured the turnover in the Mariners defensive box, went one-on-one with Panza and scored bottom right to make it a 1-0 game with 23:30 remaining in regulation.

The Mariners kept pushing and forced a number of corners and throw-ins. Eventually, junior Erick Arellanos found sophomore Chris Sullivan, who played a well placed ball into the box. Mattituck senior co-captain Liam Buckley tried to flick the ball up and over the goal, but he didn’t get enough of it and instead put the ball in his own goal, tying the game at 1-1.

“In these big games, you’re either going to see blow outs from teams just falling apart, or what’s more likely is you’re going to see super close games where these set plays and counter attacks matter, so we put a lot of emphasis on that,” Riley explained. “Chris’s goal really was traced back to a throw-in set play that we do that led to a culmination of corner kicks and other set plays.”

Southampton got a few shots in the arm with the return of Bedrolli, who could have been the hero of the game, and fellow senior Gavin Johnston. Bedrolli was questionable to play at all this season after suffering a broken clavicle in a bike accident during the summer. He made it into three games but because a player needs to play in six games to be eligible for playoffs, Riley had to file a medical exemption for Bedrolli to play in last week’s semifinal, which was granted by the county.

Johnston suffered an injury in a game earlier this season that kept him out for a number of games as well. He certainly tried to make an impact on the game and certainly had a number of chances to score with a dangerous shot, but his legs just didn’t cooperate. Having not been able to condition properly, Johnston had to come out of the game a few times due to leg cramps.

Both Bedrolli and Johnston are part of a large group of seniors who are expected to graduate this June. That also includes David Castro, Rafael Garcia, Adrian Gonzalez, Patrick Matthews, Johan Ramos Marin, Brandon Mendez, Armani Ray, Matthew Villalobos and Turner West. The future is still bright for the Mariners but Riley said the seniors will certainly be missed and he was proud of the entire team for its efforts throughout the season.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these Mariners, the way they responded every day and the way they respond to every setback we’ve experienced, from when Endrit was told he was out in preseason, to when his goal was called back in postseason,” he said. “I actually told them in my pregame speech that sometimes life punches you in the gut, but no matter what, never let it take away what makes you you.

“Sure enough, the guys responded to adversity. And I see it happening here. The seniors feel like their legacy will be to make sure these guys are ready to take the mantle. Something tells me the underclassmen will rise up out of this to make the seniors proud between now and this time next year.”