Yesterday evening, the boys’ soccer team competed in their sixth straight PSAA semifinal and booked a fourth consecutive PSAA Championship berth with a 4-0 victory over West Division #2 seed Heschel, which felt closer than the score indicates.

The Bears and Heat matched up only one other time in boys’ soccer history, a 7-0 PSAA quarterfinal win for The Brook in 2018. This match was much more evenly contested as the visitors controlled much of the opening 10 minutes with an aggressive attack and speed in the backfield.

The Heat had numerous runs up the left wing in the early going but never quite threatened to score. Instead, it was the Bears who seized an early lead when James Fay put home a weak clearance attempt from a Heschel defender at the 27:06 mark. Fay doubled the lead 11 minutes later when he was in the right place to bury the rebound off of an Aiden Ruiz shot.

Ruiz put home a score of his own with 7:10 remaining in the half when he caught the goalie out of the net on a bomb from 35 yards. Sean Kong wasn’t tested often in the first half but came up big when he was asked, stoning a rocket from a Heschel forward with 1:00 remaining to preserve the 3-0 halftime advantage.

The second half was evenly played as the Heat showed spirit despite their deficit. The Bears’ lone goal in the final 40 came when Erick Beausoleil made a courageous play on a 50-50 ball with the keeper that popped up in the air before finding the net on an own goal from a Heat defender. Kong capped a clean sheet with a diving stop on a set piece with 17:55 remaining and another doorstop save with 3:30 on the clock. John Bui added an assist and anchored the midfield all match long.

The Bears showed poise, matched Heschel’s physicality, and executed when they had to as they punched a fifth finals ticket in the last six years and gave the seniors a win in their final match on Fitch Field. They will face East Division #2 seed Portledge on Thursday at 3:45pm at Cantiague Park in Hicksville.

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