Brock Scores 2 as Garden City Boys Soccer Dominates Carey

With the 3-0 victory, the Garden City Trojan’s will face number 15 seed Roosevelt on Friday night at Mitchell Field for an opportunity to play in the Nassau conference A2 final. The Trojans dominated Carey on Wednesday afternoon to move their Conference record to 12-1, with their second 3-0 victory over Carey in the past two weeks.

The two teams split their first two matches in the regular season and this game was previewed by fans as the two best teams in Conference A2 battling in the quarterfinals because of poor playoff seeding decisions. Many found it hard to understand how two dominant 12-1 teams could have become the number three and number six seed considering they defeated each other for their only blemish on the year.

The seeding committee will have to review their approach next season as only Garden City (3), Carey (6) and Mepham (7) moved past the first round with Carey and Mepham falling in the quarterfinals. This leaves Garden City (3), Roosevelt (15), Glen Cove (12) and Manhasset (9) playing in the semi-finals.

Coach Paul Cutter brought his team into the game well prepared, not only from a game ready performance level but also from a strategic perspective. His boys calmly move the ball around to create opportunities, forcing their opponent to react and chase the ball. This presents not only direct scoring chances on through balls but also puts their opponents on their heels often causing fouls or knocking just the ball out of bounds giving GC an advantage in the offensive end of the field.

The team has had much success with set pieces this season because of that preparation and the options they give themselves off the kicks. Garden City continued their dominance on corner kicks with two first half goals, both by senior co-captain Connor Brock. The first score came about ten minutes into the match as Brock stepped up from his defensive position to get a head on a well-placed corner kick off the foot of Nick Bernieri from the right corner. The ball found the head of Brock in between defenders Christian Russo and Colin Gervasi and he drove the ball past Carey’s keeper Gino Cervoni for the early lead.

His second goal came on a corner kick from the left, this time on a cross from fellow senior co-captain Finn Connolly. The ball was driven into the center of the box by Connolly and after Carey defender Gervasi couldn’t clear the ball cleanly, Brock was able to volley the loose ball past Cervoni for his second goal of the game in the 32nd minute of the first half to put the game at 3-0.

The first ten minutes of the game showed what type of match this was going to be as both teams created chances for themselves, with both keepers coming up with nice saves, as they both have all season. When a team goes 12-1 you will typically will find a solid defense led by a stellar keeper. Garden City's James Castoro has only given up 6 goals on the season, while Cervoni has now given up only 11, six of which the Trojans have beat him for.

Sandwiched in between the two Brock goals were several good scoring chances and a goal for the Trojans thanks to the hustle of Travis Thompson. First in the 25th minute it was a service into the box for Tommy Poz, but his header was grabbed by a well positioned Cervoni. Then it was a classic hustle goal from Thompson as he jumped an outlet pass from Cervoni. Thompson outran the ball to strike an unassisted shot into the empty goal for a 2-0 GC lead. The mistake seemingly took the wind out of the Carey defense and that left them susceptible to Garden City's attack.

Thompson and the Trojan offense continued to pressure the solid but shaken Carey defense. Less than two minutes after his goal it was a through ball from Thompson to Finn Connolly, but before Connolly could get a shot off he was seemingly tackled but no foul was called. Then it was another opportunity for Thompson himself as he split the backs, Jason Malovich and Nick Sagos, but was met by a sliding Cervoni in the box and the ball rolled wide as Thompson lay on the ground looking towards the referees as they pointed for a corner kick. The corner kick that produced Brock's second goal and a 3-0 lead for Garden City with under eight minutes left in the half.

The first half ended with what was Carey's best scoring chance. A free kick from the left sideline off the foot of Nick Zarra found the head of an oncoming Sagos but his header sailed just wide and the Garden City lead stayed at 3-0.

The second half was a replayed of the first, but without the scoring. Garden City continued to put the pressure on the Carey defense with strong runs from Steven Zuniga, Bernieri, Poz and Jack Perrini. But the Carey defense settled down after halftime and didn't give in to the attack.

At the other end of the field, Carey was pushing hard to break through the Trojan defense. Conference Player of the Year Colin Gervasi, better known for his defensive abilities, joined the attack and helped produce several chances for himself, as well as Sagos, Alessandro Perna, Jason Malovich and Azeem Siddiqui.

Each attack from Carey was met by the shut down defense of Brock, Ryan Buccelato, Tommy Esposito and Spencer Caporicci anchored by an active James Castoro in goal. Castoro came out to punch a ball off the head of Gervasi, grab a point blank shot from Perna or come out and take the ball off the foot of Malovich. The shutout was the tenth for Castoro on the season.

Coach Cutter will have to prepare his boys for a tough match on Friday night in predicted wet weather as they face a charging Roosevelt eleven that has reeled off three straight playoff wins. Roosevelt is capable of putting the ball in the goal as seen with their ten goals in the three playoff games. Overall they come into the semifinals with a goal differential of 39 for and 25 against.

Game time is scheduled for 7:30 at Mitchell Field.