CHSAA boys soccer beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Saturday’s CHSAA state championship game between St. Francis Prep and Chaminade
Who: No. 3 St. Francis Prep vs. Chaminade
What: CHSAA state championship game
Where: Belson Stadium, St. John’s University
When: Saturday, 3 p.m.
How much: $10 adults, $5 students
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St. Francis Prep Terriers
Head coach: Franco Purificato
Record: 16-2-0
Player to watch: Frank Biordi
How they got here: Captured Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan title, defeated Canisius (Buffalo), 1-0, in semifinals
Chaminade Flyers
Head coach: Michael Gallagher
Record: 17-1-3
Player to watch: Tommy Roulis
How they got here: Captured Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA title, defeated Iona Prep, 1-0, in semifinals
Outlook: St. Francis Prep put last week’s agonizing loss to Iona Prep in the CHSAA Class A intersectional semifinals behind it Tuesday night, defeating Canisius (Buffalo), 1-0, to advance to Saturday’s state final against Chaminade.
For a second consecutive game, Frank Biordi scored a dramatic late goal at Belson Stadium, this one to win it for the Terriers, who last won the state title in 2003.
Chaminade has defeated PSAL powerhouses Martin Luther King and Beacon, Iona Prep twice and perennial powerhouse St. Benedicts (N.J.). The Flyers are ranked No. 7 in the country by the NSCAA and will come into the game as the favorite, something St. Francis Prep was before the start of every other game it played this year.
“We can be tested to see how good we really are,” said St. Francis Prep junior defender Christian Molano, who has anchored a backline that has given up just eight goals this season.
The Flyers have won its last two, and biggest, games in dramatic style. Tommy Roulis scored the winner one minute before full time to defeat St. Anthony’s in the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA title game last Saturday and then Roulis made a game-saving clearance off the line before Kory Seibt knocked in the winner with 92 seconds left in the second half in a 1-0 win against Iona Prep in the state semifinals Thursday.
“I’m really excited. We haven’t played them this season, but we heard they’re pretty good and we watched a little of their game before and they’re talented,” Seibt said of St. Francis Prep. “But from the last two wins and the way we’ve been playing toward the end of the season we’re pretty confident we can play anyone and beat anyone.”
The key for St. Francis Prep is to not fall behind, especially considering Chaminade, ranked No. 7 in the country by the NSCAA, has conceded just four goals all season. Plus, the Terriers are 0-2 in games they’ve trailed this season.
“They have a long, strong history and we have a pretty good history ourselves,” Chaminade coach Michael Gallagher said. “The final hopefully should be exciting.”