The fifth-seeded Lynbrook Owls lost a heartbreaker on Saturday, falling 1-0 in overtime to Bethpage, the 12th seed, in the first round of the playoffs. The game was played at Lynbrook North Middle School.
"It is very difficult not knowing what to say to a bunch of high school boys who are so hardworking after such a split-second loss," said Owls coach Josh Berlin. "To see five to six of these kids crying and needing to console them is a reminder to us how much they love and care about what they do on this field every day."
Lynbrook — which beat Bethpage twice in the regular season — played a great first half, generating a number of scoring opportunities. And its defense held Bethpage to only three shots in the half, including a goal-saving header at the goal line by senior Andrew Marks.
In the second half, the Owls were even more threatening. Junior Mike Milillo and freshman call-up Tyler DeMarinis came close to putting one on the board for the Owls, but neither could find the back of the net.
Lynbrook and Bethpage held each other scoreless in the first of two 15-minute overtime periods. But in the second overtime, Bethpage's Tom Asselta got to a loose ball off a throw-in and beat Owls keeper Evan Foley to win the game for Bethpage.
Berlin said he has no regrets about the season, and he and his assistants are very proud of the team.
"We ask them every day to make sure that they have no regrets when it is all over. To work as hard as they can and leave it all out there on the field," Berlin said. "This one will hurt for a while and [we] asked them to keep a little bit of the disappointment and emotion in their minds so that they can use it as motivation next season."
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