Entertainment

As fans made their way into Hameline Field at Wagner College on Friday night for the second annual Staten Island High School Soccer All Star games, a single phrase filled the chilly, rain-soaked air: “It hasn’t rained in four months…” This was often followed by a wry smile as they acknowledged the cold, drizzly, and at times snowy evening. But the weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

Organizers' Pride and Fans' Satisfaction

Supporters poured into the stadium, bundled up in layers of blankets, rain jackets, boots, and gloves. Their smiles radiated with pride for the sons, daughters, friends, and family members getting ready to compete in the evening's two marquee games. No one left Hameline Field disappointed. The Boys’ North and South All Stars delivered a game for the ages, a thrilling contest that sports networks love to replay when celebrating the year's best moments. The Girls’ North and South All Stars also captivated the shivering, snow-dusted crowd with a fiercely competitive match until the final minutes.It was an unforgettable evening of soccer, proving that even in less-than-ideal conditions, the love of the game shines brightest. The team from Son of a Pitch Football Company, the organizers of the event, left with immense pride. The players showcased their full talents, the fans were thoroughly satisfied, and parents expressed heartfelt gratitude for the memorable evening.Meanwhile, coaches beamed with pride at their players' contributions on the field. Staying true to their mission of delivering the best possible experience for everyone involved, the organizers are already exploring ways to make next year's event even better. If only they could control the weather, it might truly be perfection.

Boys' High School All-Star Game: North Prevails

In the boys' high school all-star game, the North prevailed over the South. (Joe Bolella, @sonofapitchmedia) Joe Bolella. The All Stars representing North high schools on Staten Island used a feverish second-half comeback to force overtime and then took a 5-3 win in a penalty-kick shootout.The Southern All Stars, composed of 17 players from seven different high schools, opened up a commanding 3-0 lead just 18 minutes into the game. Manu Kambouris (Sr., Monsignor Farrell) scored just two minutes in, stepping in front of a lateral back line pass and blasting a shot past North keeper Robert Milosavljevic (Sr., Port Richmond). Kambouris registered again in the 13th minute for the South, beginning a counterattacking surge from the midfield and launching a top shelf shot that glanced off a North defender. Just five minutes later, in the 18th minute, Philip Vitarelli (Sr., St. Joseph by-the-Sea) raced down the left flank and launched a low-lining cross that was punched home by South teammate Nicolas Fisherman (Sr., Staten Island Academy), giving the South a 3-goal lead.Possession leveled from there, and a series of three straight corner kicks led to a flurry of chances for the North, forcing keeper Christian Mlynarski (Sr., Sea) to make a couple of saves to keep the clean sheet through 40 minutes. Still, the North had the better of play in the final 10 minutes and used the momentum for an improbable second-half run.With the North pressing, Joseph Jacobs (Sr., Curtis) scored a critical takeaway from just outside the 18-yard box, using his speed to move inside the box and deliver a gorgeous cross to Gael Moran (Sr., CSI) who headed home the shot past keeper Aidan Grey (Sr., Tottenville) to get on the board in the 56th minute.The South tightened from there, at times firing away in an attempt to put the game away, but the persistent North side, under the guidance of longtime St. Peter’s head coach John Liantonio, refused to quit. With just under six minutes to play, Jacobs struck again by threading a pass to the left flank while guarded by a pair of defenders to teammate Andrew Gavrilov (Sr., Susan Wagner) who launched a rising shot from deep into the corner of the goal to pull North to within one, 3-2.Down to their last gasps, the game seemed secure for the South, but a critical mistake with just over two minutes to play proved costly. Moran was taken down inside the 18-yard box by South defender Roman Shapar (Jr., New Dorp), and Moran made it hurt, rocketing a blast into the upper middle of the net on the PK past a diving Gray to knot the game at 3.With no genuine chances in the final two minutes, the game moved immediately into a penalty kick shootout. This series went back and forth until the fourth stage. Following a blast to the left by the North’s Shermicah Moore (Sr., Susan Wagner) that just went under Gray, the score became 4-3 in penalty kicks. Brian Puleo (Sr., Tottenville) was next, and his blast ricocheted off the crossbar, the game's first miss. That gave way to Moran, who stepped in and calmly fired his penalty into the middle of the net to give North the improbable win, recording a personal hat trick in the process.

Inaugural Girls' All-Star Game: North Holds On

In the inaugural Staten Island High School Girls Soccer All-Star Game, the North team, comprised of 15 players representing eight different schools, scored twice early and then added an improbable late second-half goal to withstand a South comeback and earn a 3-2 victory.The North unit seemed poised for a big win in the early stages, owning possession and dictating the tempo with a series of short-range passes. Just under six minutes in, the North tallied, using a punishing attack to generate chance after chance before a desperation clearance defensively landed at the feet of Tima Dzemovski (Sr., Notre Dame), who launched a riser from the top of the box that beat the outstretched arms of South keeper Carolynn Oakes (Sr., Tottenville) to give the North a 1-0 lead.Less than 90 seconds later, a costly South turnover at midfield found the boot of Liazia Tolbert Francis (Jr., Curtis) who threaded a gorgeous 40-yard pass directly onto the foot of a running Camille Banks (Jr., Curtis) who settled inside the box and rainbowed a shot over Oakes to give the North a 2-0 edge just 7:20 into the contest.The teams settled into a more even pace from there, with the South generating a bit more offense thanks to the long ball over top, while the North tried to counterattack and add an insurance marker.Both teams were stymied until the 32nd minute. With the South starting to mount a steadier attack, they were finally able to break through thanks to the lightning speed of Kaydence Hodges (So., Moore), who completed a sprinting run down the left flank into the box with a shot that keeper Daniella Ferrari (Fr., Notre Dame) caught a small piece off but was still able to catch the inside of the post to make it a 2-1 game, just before the half.The teams then traded shots in the second half, and although the South pressed for an equalizer, the North also had their chances, forcing reserve South keeper Ava Petersen (Sr., Susan Wagner) into a series of quality saves to keep her team ahead. Ferrari was also up to the task between the pipes, turning aside a couple of shots and seeing a collective of shots sail wide.As the game moved inside of five minutes, desperation set in for the South. In the 36th minute, the South succumbed to a big mistake when Petersen took down Tolbert Francis in the box and was whistled for the foul, giving the North the penalty shot that could have iced the game. A shaken-up Petersen stayed in the game and watched as Tolbert Francis’ shot sailed high over the bar on the attempt to keep it a one-goal game. Moments later, however, an ailing Petersen opted to play a ball short in her own box that was mishandled by the defense and this time, Tolbert Francis was there at point-blank range to blast in the goal to make it 3-1 in the 36th minute to seemingly ice the game.The South, though, had other plans. With inside of two minutes to go, Jaime Como (Sr., Sea) was taken down in the box to earn a penalty kick of her own, and the senior left little to doubt, blasting in the goal past Ferrari with 90 seconds to play to make it 3-2.It would, however, be the final attempt for the South, who could not muster up another rush up the field, and the North held on for the 3-2 win.