Every single season for the Saint Anthony’s Boys Varsity Soccer team, absolutely everything is done the way it is to finish the job come November.
This season, the journey was harder than usual, with many dips in form and clear points of uncertainty that aren’t often seen out of reigning CHSAA champions. Eleven games in, the Friars record stood at 6-5, equalling the most losses the program has had since 2019. Adding salt to the team’s wounds to start October, captain John Oualaalou (ST/CM, 2024) and Newsday Top 100 Player was ruled out for a month with a head injury.
However, this figurative backing into a corner is exactly what Saint Anthony’s needed to finally get to punching like they usually do.
In the closing half of the regular season, the Friars embarked on a 9-game winning streak, with some statement victories over the Kellenberg (3-0), Fairfield Prep (1-0), and fierce rivals and league leaders Chaminade (3-2).
Play in the first half of the season was nothing like the trademark fluidity of your typical Saint Anthony’s team. Tweaks made to the starters and bench rotation by Head Coach, Don Corrao, had the boys absolutely scorching.
The injury to Oualaalou left the team without a clear starting striker. Coach turned to the best mix of physical presence and technical ability to fill that hole: Captain and lifelong central defender, Joe Joannou. Carlo Maricevic was slid into that defensive position despite typically finding himself as a central midfielder, and Dean Muratore (CF, 2024), Christian Kelly (LB, 2025), and Andrew Wicik (Everything, 2025) highlighted a plethora of players who got into red hot form to end the season.
Before they knew it, the postseason was upon the reigning league champions, and both the morale and emotions had never been higher. With the return of a plethora of injured players, the Friars were the hottest team in New York and felt as such when the semi-final kicked off against Kellenberg on November 1st.
Only ten minutes passed before tragedy struck Saint Anthony’s, following a collision with a Firebird defender, Joe Joannou went down in immense pain before an ambulance escorted him off the field. Despite this crushing loss, seniors Justin Ramirez (LW, 2024) and Arsiteo Aniceto (DM, 2024) showcased a clinic of possessive attacking play.
After 70 long minutes passed and chance after chance for the Friars not being able to find the back of the net, a breakthrough finally came. Vincent Dentrone (ST/LW, 2024) flicked a pass to the feet of Oualaalou, who gracefully dispatched a handful of defenders before sliding a winning goal into the near-post-corner of the Kellenberg goal, sealing the Friars’ spot in yet another league title game.
Only four days later the CHSAA final was upon Don Corrao’s side, and for the fourth straight year, it was the Golden Derby of Saint Anthony’s vs. Chaminade to decide it all.
The two sides had split the season series with a win apiece each at the other’s home stadium, but this time around the emotions and stakes were higher than ever at the turf of Farmingdale State College.
Oualaalou stood over the ball of his third straight league championship, before kicking off a game that could cement legacies as heroes and icons of the program.
The first half was controlled by the Friars, with the chances culminating in a stunning save by Chaminade’s goalkeeper Andrew Marrotta who rejected a wide-open strike by Oualaalou from inside his six-yard box.
The two sides went into halftime scoreless before what could only be described as a pressing second half for Saint Anthony’s. Chaminade completely controlled the possession and chances generated, with a sprinkle of Saint Anthony’s counter-attacks sprinkled in. Chances came and went, but before they knew it, the game would go to a sudden death overtime.
Again, Chaminade controlled the first period of overtime with their best chance just outside the six being denied by a wonder save by the Friars’ sophomore keeper Cole Lawrence.
The Friars entered their second overtime after a rousing speech and awakened with a completely different energy than the last 55 minutes of play. Where Andrew Wicik brilliantly won a pair of 50/50s in the midfield, before finding Oualaalou streaking down the touchline. Fighting through over 105’ of fatigue, the Friars’ captain sent a prayer into the box, hoping for just anyone to be there.
Senior teammate Dean Muratore, answered the prayer, and flung himself into the air with the daring purpose of heading the winning goal over the back of a Flyer defender. Saint Anthony’s became back-to-back CHSAA champions, their third league championship in 5 years.
After a long, trying season, celebrations were immense, but were cut short by the fact that they weren’t done quite yet.
They’d have a straight-on means of revenge, in the state semi-final; they were set to take on the very same Saint Joseph’s Prep that dispatched them in 2022.
In a near mirror of last year’s final, Saint Anthony’s dominated possession but couldn’t quite execute the plethora of chances they generated to start the game.
In the second half a breakthrough finally came off of the head of Dentrone making it 1-0, and not long after another looping header from Muratore doubled the Friars’ advantage. Only a handful of minutes later, the Friars were in their third state final in five seasons, matched up against the Owls of Regis out of Manhattan.
The day was upon them, and to end a roller coaster of a season, it would be one last game for icons to be cemented and names etched in Saint Anthony’s soccer history.
Playing fluently, and both teams having a fair share of chances the second half opened with a deadlock at 0-0. Christian Kelly would deliver the Friars first chance with a lobbed ball left sitting alone in the penalty area, Oualaalou quickly capitalized and put the Friars up one with half an hour to go. The Owls answered back on a set piece with around twenty minutes left.
Now 1-1 and following two periods of overtime with chances coming few and far between the state title would be decided by penalty shootout. Five of Coach Corrao’s bravest souls stepped out onto the field looking to secure the championship, and after four perfect strikes from the spot, a chance finally came to win.
Regis’ fourth penalty attempt went careening over the goal, leaving junior full-back Nicky Galindo to put the game to bed. With the last ball in the stands, it seemed like a cruel amount of time waiting for the ball to reach the spot. Galindo placed the ball down, stepped up, stuttered, and placed the ball firmly past the Regis goalkeeper. The season was over, and Saint Anthony’s Friars were on top of the NYCHSAA. Two plaques were lifted in the postseason to remember, both of which hold immeasurable weight to the athletes who took home the victories.
At many points during the season, pressure and nerves took the better of the team; however, unwavering determination and will to improve showed through more than anything, the Saint Anthony’s recipe to form the hearts and minds of champions.
Eamon Bevan is a Senior writer and lead broadcaster in his fourth year working for Scoreboard. He is also involved in several clubs and ministries at St. Anthony’s.
