Southampton's 4-1 Win Sends Mariners to First State Semifinal

Southampton boys soccer players will play in the New York State Semifinals for the first time in program history. The Mariners defeated Livonia 4-1 on Saturday at Geneseo High School to advance.

The team now prepares to face Schuylerville at 8:30 a.m. on November 14. The match is scheduled at Middletown High School’s Faller Field. The winner of that game will play in the Class B state title match the following day at 10 a.m.

Head coach Dave Riley noted the team has operated for approximately 50 years. Their previous best finish came in 2015 when they won county and Long Island championships. They lost the Southeast Regional Final to Hastings 1-0 that year, missing the state semifinals by one game.

Southampton earned an at-large bid after a double-overtime win over Center Moriches on October 27. They then lost the Suffolk County championship to Babylon 2-1 on October 30. Because Babylon chose to play in the Long Island Championship, Southampton moved to the other side of the state bracket. They beat Chenango Forks 2-1 in overtime on November 4 to reach the quarterfinals.

The journey to the state tournament required extensive travel. The team covered close to 1,350 miles over four days. Riley estimated the total time on the road at nearly 24 hours, including stops and traffic, for trips to Windsor Central and Geneseo high schools.

Senior Gonzalo Alvarez and junior Ulisses Lopez Silva provided all four goals for Southampton. Alvarez scored 10 minutes into the game and again 17 minutes into the second half. Lopez Silva scored twice in the first half, including a goal one minute after halftime. Sophomore Lev Garcia and Gianluca Basile provided assists for the first two goals.

Senior Gonzalo Alvarez described the team as a family that is happy to play in different locations. Junior Ulisses Lopez Silva called the experience once in a lifetime. Coach Riley said the defense locked down Livonia's attack, allowing the team to focus on scoring.