Cormack, St. Francis Soccer Celebrate Senior Day With Win Over Archrival LIU Brooklyn

In his final home game as a Terrier, St. Francis Brooklyn defender Andy Cormack experienced despair and elation within minutes as his team defeated LIU Brooklyn 2-0 on Sunday at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5.

With the Terriers clinging to a narrow 1-0 lead midway through the second half, St. Francis was awarded a penalty kick after an LIU foul in front of its goal.

His family having flown in from England to celebrate Senior Day, Cormack was given the honor of taking what is typically soccer’s most automatic of goal-scoring chances. The senior from Plymouth stepped up to the ball and sent it soaring to the right of LIU freshman goalie Cole Palmer.

Palmer, in as second half relief for sophomore netminder Logan Keys, made a diving stop to keep his team within a goal, apparently denying Cormack a memorable send-off to his St. Francis career.

But Cormack wasn’t done yet. In the 79th minute he took a pass from freshman John Makaya and converted from six yards out to give the Terriers an insurmountable lead on their way to capturing a second straight Ramirez/Tramontozzi Cup, and St. Francis’ first-ever win on its new home field over archrival LIU.

For St. Francis head coach Tom Giovatto, the win and the goal were a perfect way to send the Terriers into the Northeast Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament, which will take place starting next Friday at top-seeded St. Francis, PA.

“The guys played well. We worked on a lot of things this week and they came out in the game, which makes me very happy,” said Giovatto, whose team will travel to Loretto, Pennsylvania to defend the NEC title St. Francis captured last year with a golden goal scored by Cormak in a 3-2 overtime win against Bryant.

“Even better, to have a shutout for Ricky [Milano; SFC defender also being honored on Senior Day] and for Andy to have a goal with his family here, you can’t ask for anything more.”

With the win St. Francis claims the third seed and will face 2nd-seed Bryant. The Blackbirds, who qualified for their first conference playoff since 2004, are seeded fourth and will face the host Red Flash.

LIU led St. Francis, PA 2-0 in a regular season game earlier this year only to end up on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision when the host Red Flash closed the match with three late goals.

“It’s great for us to have an opportunity to play everybody and learn some things in a game when we’re already in the conference [playoffs],” said LIU head coach TJ Kostecky about today’s match. “It was a great atmosphere with everyone who came from Brooklyn [for] both programs.”

Looking ahead to the playoffs, Kostecky noted that the last time the Blackbirds made the NEC playoffs, they won a title from the fourth seed position, the same spot St. Francis was in last year when the Terriers swept to their first conference title since 1998.

“There’s a balance in this league. Whether it’s third or fourth or second, anybody can win the tournament next weekend.”

Longtime LIU head coach Arnie Ramirez, watching from the sidelines, was impressed by the Terriers who on Sunday captured the trophy named for Ramirez and former SFC head coach Carlos Tramontozzi and awarded annually to the winner of the two school’s annual “Battle of Brooklyn” match.

“I graduated from LIU, I coached at LIU for 20 years, so I still have a lot of feelings for LIU,” said Ramirez, the winningest coach in LIU soccer history, “[but] St. Francis played really well and deserved to win the game,”

Handicapping this year’s conference playoffs, Coach Ramirez, whose Blackbird teams won six conference titles—including two NEC crowns—during his tenure at LIU, was partial to the Terriers.

“I saw St. Francis of Pennsylvania, I’ve seen Bryant, and St. Francis, they play as a team, they play better soccer.”

Closing with a thought sure to inspire Terrier faithful, Ramirez said, “I just have a feeling that St. Francis is going to win everything.”

GAME NOTES: SFC’s first goal was netted by Harry Odell at the 62 minute mark with assists by Salvatore Barone, and Federico Curbelo.

St. Francis registered a strong defensive effort as the Terriers held the Blackbirds to seven shots and zero on goal. SFC junior netminder Jack Binks recorded his ninth shut out of the season.

Watching from the sidelines was Gio Savarese, the head coach for New York Cosmos and an LIU Brooklyn soccer alumni who played under Arnie Ramirez. Savarese and Cosmos Manager of Team Operations Jack Gaeta returned earlier in the day from San Antonio, where the Cosmos dropped a 2-1 overtime decision on Saturday night to the Scorpions in the first round of the 2014 NASL playoffs.

At halftime a youth soccer squad from Fort Greene took to the field. U6 players from Young Rock Soccer Academy delighted the crowd with some nifty playmaking.

PHOTO CAPTION: Riccardo Milano, Andy Cormack with the Ramirez/Tramontozzi Cup
PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Randazzo for Patch