New York Post CHSAA boys soccer beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Thursday’s CHSAA state semifinals at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University.
Here’s the schedule:
5 p.m. – No. 3 St. Francis Prep vs. Canisius (Buffalo)
7 p.m. – No. 1 Iona Prep vs. Chaminade (L.I.)
To follow the games, be sure to check out The Post’s live blog here.
St. Francis Prep Terriers
Head coach: Franco Purificato
Record: 15-2-0
Player to watch: Frank Biordi
Canisius Crusaders
Head coach: Samuel Belsito
Record: 13-3-4
Player to watch: C.J. Montante
Outlook: After their dreams of a CHSAA Class A intersectional championship were dashed by a crushing and stunning loss to Iona Prep in the semifinals, the Terriers’ season has a second life, thanks in part to Fordham Prep’s semifinal win against Archbishop Molloy.
By virtue of winning the Brooklyn/Queens division, St. Francis Prep will compete for the CHSAA state championship. The Terriers, though, will do so without starting goalkeeper Joe Cala, who is serving a two-game suspension resulting from a straight red card against Iona Prep.
St. Francis Prep, though, does have Frank Biordi, Chris Joseph and Christian Molano, all of whom will look to put last week’s disappointment behind them.
“We have to focus, start all over and put everything together,” Biordi said.
The boys from Buffalo are usually the whipping boys in this tournament, but Canisius is hoping to buck that trend. As the top seed, the Crusaders defeated No. 3 Nichols, 2-1, in overtime to claim the Monsignor Martin Association championship Sunday afternoon. Trailing 1-0 at the half, Mac Garner leveled for Canisius in the 52nd minute and C.J. Montante struck for the overtime winner.
Iona Prep Gaels
Head coach: Marcos Monteagudo
Record: 12-3-5
Player to watch: Cesar Ceja
Chaminade Flyers
Head coach: Michael Gallagher
Record: 16-1-3
Player to watch: Tommy Roulis
Outlook: Good luck scoring on Chaminade, which has conceded just four goals this season. Iona Prep wasn’t able to break down the Flyers stout defense, featuring goalkeeper Ricky Berotti and central defenders Tommy Roulis, who is heading to Dartmouth, and Northeastern-bound Mike Lobben. The Gaels lost 3-0 at home on Sept. 19, but Chaminade coach Michael Gallagher is quick to point out that Iona Prep was without star goalkeeper Alex Kapp in that non-league game.
“Alex is a big part of their postseason success,” Gallagher said. “They’re not the same team we beat 3-0 in September. It should be a good game. They have a good player in almost every position.”
The same is true about Chaminade, ranked No. 7 in the country by the NSCAA. University of Chicago-Illinois bound Nick Codispoti anchors the midfield and Jon Stallone, Kory Seibt and Giovanni LoMonaco have scored their share of big goals. No one, though, scored a bigger goal than Roulis, whose 40-yard free kick late in the second half lifted the Flyers to a 1-0 win against rival St. Anthony’s in the L.I. CHSAA championship.
Chaminade, which features 19 seniors, is hoping to win its fourth CHSAA state title, last winning back-to-back crowns in 2006 and 2007.
Iona Prep is the underdog in this game, but that’s nothing new for the Gaels, who have thrived in that roll almost the entire postseason. Belson Stadium has been magical for Marcos Monteagudo’s squad, which stunned St. Francis Prep on penalty kicks in the Class A intersectional semifinals and then beat archrival Fordham Prep, 1-0, on Sunday to win their first-ever intersectional title.
Led by the ever-dangerous Cesar Ceja and Kapp, Iona Prep is also the defending CHSAA state champions and will not relinquish its title without a fight.