Kocis Gets Hat-Trick, but Huntington Lax Falls
Huntington junior Ben Kocis scored the game's first two goals, but Miller Place scored five of the next six and went on to top the Blue Devils for the Suffolk Division II boys' lacrosse championship, 5-4 before a crowd of about 1,500 at Stony Brook University's LaValle Stadium.
Kocis launched a missile into the top left corner of the goal with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter to give Huntington (15-4) a 1-0 lead. He scored again off a bullet to the same spot three minutes later to put the Blue Devils ahead, 2-0.
The Panthers responded in short order by sneaking the ball past Huntington goalie Tyler Greenhill with 1:02 left in the first quarter to make it 2-1. Miller Place (14-5) tied the game less than a minute into the second quarter and took a 3-2 lead with 10:29 remaining in the half.
Huntington stormed back as Chris Schoen tied the game at 3-3, but Miller Place scored again with 4:35 left on the clock to regain the lead at 4-3, which it took into halftime. The Panthers extended their advantage to 5-3 with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter.
Trailing by two goals, the Blue Devils weren't about to give up just yet. Cheered on by their fans, Huntington players sent wicked shots toward the goal with several glancing off the left or right posts or the top crossbar and several either stopped or deflected by the Panthers' remarkable goalie, Matt Liantonio, who recorded 14 saves.
Huntington attack Billy Martin fired off two blistering shots from close range in the final minutes, only to see them stopped by Liantonio. Kocis finally found the back of the net for the third time with just three seconds remaining in the game to make it 5-4, which is how the game ended.
"I couldn't have asked for a better team," said senior Patrick Reilly, who played midfield for the Huntington. "We definitely exceeded expectations. We came up a little short in the counties, but overall we had a great season. It's sad that it's the last time I'm going to play in a Blue Devil uniform. I will miss my friends and teammates. I have a chance to play four more years at the next level and I couldn't be happier about that." Reilly has signed an NCAA Division I letter of intent to play at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina next year.
Greenhill was magnificent in goal, compiling a dozen saves. Huntington's defensive unit of Peter Goldsmith, Connor McCartney, Christian Jamison and Tim Mattiace also turned in a splendid game in the face of Miller Place's brutal offensive onslaught. The two teams engaged in a very physical contest, limiting each other to just one second half goal.
"It just wasn't our day to be honest," said Greenhill about the loss to Miller Place. "We played our hearts out, but unfortunately we didn't win. Our team is a family and although lacrosse is over, we will continue to be a family. Win, lose or draw, I wouldn't trade this team or season for anything else in the world. The team and I would like to thank all the fans that came and supported us. It meant a lot to us." Greenhill has accepted a scholarship to play at Rutgers University next year.
The loss broke Huntington's 14-game winning streak, which began on April 10 with a 14-0 victory over Mattituck/Greenport/Southold. The win propels Miller Place into the Long Island championship game against Garden City on Saturday at Hofstra University.