To the consistent observers of the Saint Anthony’s Boys Varsity Soccer team, this season has been…new. In no way is that a bad thing, with the Friars currently sitting at #2 in the CHSAA, with a 10-5 overall record.
Coming into the season, the Friars had some of the most high-end talent on Long Island, including three on the Newsday Top 100, to go along with one of the deepest pools of talent the program has had in some time.
That’s why it was even more surprising when Saint Anthony’s suffered a 2-0 loss to the Patchogue-Medford Raiders at home in only their second game of the season, after not having a home loss since 2021. As the season went on, the Friars picked up some solid wins, but again found themselves on the wrong side of affairs to Bergen Catholic (2-1) and Chaminade (2-0) and another season top rival, Kellenberg (3-2) which was the Firebirds first win against Saint Anthony’s since 2019.
With these three key losses and several injuries, it would give the impression of a tough season for the Friars and that they needed something very good and quick to happen. With Captain and midfield ace John Oualaalou ‘24 out and a must-win game against Saint John the Baptist on the horizon, Coach Corrao slid the remaining captain and lifetime defender Joe Joannou ‘24 to striker, and central midfielder Carlo Maricevic ‘24 to replace him at center back.
Right away against the Cougars, this complexity of progressive players on the Friars team overwhelmed the opposition, and in a fixture that often proves tedious to score in, Joannou had two goals by halftime.
The goals kept coming for St. Anthony’s with left-back Christian Kelly ‘25 scoring two, as well as goals from high-energy seniors Dean Muratore and Jamison Draddy. At the end of 90 minutes, the scoreboard showed a 7-0 victory over the Cougars, and the Friars had some serious hope for a turnaround
After dispatching Holy Trinity 8-0, the coaching staff saw a lot of promise in several players who made an appearance off of the sideline, and their contribution would mean more than ever, with two key games against Kellenberg and Fairfield Prep coming up.
On a tense and physical senior night performance, Saint Anthony’s gave Kellenberg a taste of revenge for their prior upset. Nicholas Galindo (D, 2025), Andrew Wicik (M/D, 2025), and Christian Hall (S, 2025) sported sensational displays in a 3-0 victory capped off by a Joannou hat trick.
Only two days later, the Friars needed to show incredible resilience in a day trip to Connecticut where they battled Fairfield Prep. By the end of the day, a Muratore goal in the first half proved just enough to guide the Friars to a 1-0 victory, as keeper Cole Lawrence ’26 and midfield weapon Aristeo Aniceto ‘24 put on masterclasses at their respective positions.
The Friars currently stand with only five games to go and have done all they can to get back on track. The team has played their best soccer all season in this recent run and they’ll need to keep it up against the names they’re facing soon. Replays of last year’s league championship against Chaminade and state semifinal against Monsignor Farrell are in the books, so it will be a sight to see when the Friars take the field looking to flip some agendas.
Eamon Bevan is a Senior writer and lead broadcaster in his fourth year working for Scoreboard at St. Anthony’s High School. Is involved in several clubs and ministries.
