The seventh-seeded West Islip Lions, whose players dyed their hair blond for the occasion, came in loaded for bear here Thursday afternoon, hoping that, somehow, they could upset the county Class AA tournament’s second seed, East Hampton.
The Bonackers’ pass, pass, pass style — a marvel to watch — doesn’t always win the day when up against bigger opponents who like to kick the ball up the field and chase it, and who always pose a threat when it comes to set plays.
But, despite the fact that the visitors contested every ball, and pretty much matched the Bonackers when it came to corner kicks and free kicks, East Hampton emerged the winner, by 1-0, thanks to a breakaway goal by Chris Guallpa in the 83rd minute of play, which is to say three minutes into the first 15-minute sudden victory overtime period. Taking a through pass from Filiph Garcia Ayala, Guallpa, one of East Hampton’s toughest competitors, outran his man and beat West Islip’s onrushing goalie, Daniel Von Thaden, burying a ground-hugging shot into the right corner of West Islip’s cage.
Seconds later, Guallpa was smothered by cheering teammates, those who’d been on the field and those on the bench, as the Lions walked dazed around their splayed-out goalie, whose hands were covering his face.
As a result of the win, East Hampton is to play third-seeded Huntington — a 4-3 victor over Comsewogue in another first-round game — here Monday at 2 p.m. The AA final is to be played next Thursday at Patchogue-Medford High School at 3.
Thursday’s game here was an agonizing one for Bonac’s fans, a cohort that included a large part of the student body. Brian Tacuri got off East Hampton’s most credible shot in the first half, a hard one off the side of his foot in the 14th minute that the diving Von Thaden pushed away.
The first half ended without a score, but in the second, East Hampton, whose players had been told by their coach, Don McGovern, to shoot whenever within range, mounted an assault every salvo of which was greeted with cries from the stands. In the 51st minute, it appeared that East Hampton had got on the board, given the fact that Von Thaden, following an Bonac counter, was momentarily over the goal line with the ball in his hands. McGovern saw it, so did this writer, but apparently the referees were too far away to make the call.
The onslaught continued, with Tacuri, Guallpa, John Bustamante, Jonathan Armijos, Garcia Ayala, and Michael Chimbo all unleashing shots that kept Von Thaden extremely active. Shots by Tacuri and Guallpa bounced off the football goalpost span above the soccer crossbar. Armijos’s bid in the 60th minute, and Chimbo’s in the 62nd, went just wide. Garcia Ayala’s, in the 61st, came closest, his high shot toward the right post caroming off it unclaimed.
Kevin Hilario, East Hampton’s center back, made a big slide tackle with 12 minutes to play that prevented a West Islip breakaway.
With eight minutes to go, Steven Ortiz one-touched a corner kick from Eduardo Calle that went wide left, and, following another corner kick taken by Guallpa, with six minutes remaining in regulation, a 30-yard attempt by Hilario was blocked by a defender.
The visitors threatened with a corner kick of their own in the final minute, but East Hampton’s goalie, Nicholas Guerrero, made the save.