For much of Saturday afternoon, it seemed as though the soccer gods had conspired against Mamaroneck.
Despite controlling possession, creating scoring opportunities and generally dictating the action against Farmingdale, the Tigers somehow found themselves trailing at halftime of their Nov. 7 Class AAA regional championship game at Byram Hills High School.
But Mamaroneck wasn’t about to let one unfortunate bounce derail its championship dreams.
Sparked by second-half goals from Michael Zambrano and Rin Nagaoka just three minutes apart, the Tigers rallied for a thrilling 2-1 victory, advancing to the NYSPHSAA semifinals for just the second time in school history.
“We knew we were the better team, but we didn’t see that in the first half,” Zambrano said. “At halftime, we talked about how we have to step up, as a team. Overall, this was a great performance and a fantastic win.”
The Tigers certainly looked like the stronger side early, repeatedly pushing into Farmingdale territory and testing goalkeeper Johnny Buonomo, who finished with five saves.
But in the 11th minute, disaster struck.
A bizarre sequence in front of the Mamaroneck net left a loose ball at the feet of Farmingdale’s Evan Covatti, whose hurried shot deflected off goalkeeper Manny Rios’ hand and bounced into the net.
Suddenly, the Tigers were chasing a game they had largely dominated.
“After the first half, I think the guys were a little mad at themselves, giving up that goal after dominating for so much of the half,” Mamaroneck coach Mangan said. “So basically, we just told them to hit the reset and realize that we’ve gotten all these chances and there is still another half to play.”
That patience eventually paid off.
With 21:19 remaining, Isayah Lopez collected a deflection and found Zambrano, who delivered the equalizer, sending the Mamaroneck faithful into a frenzy.
“I didn’t even look back, I knew it was going in,” Zambrano said. “I saw the entire crowd get excited and it was one of the most magical moments I’ve ever had.”
Just 2:48 later, David Lopez launched a throw-in from the left sideline that Nagaoka redirected past Buonomo, completing a stunning turnaround.
The Tigers protected their advantage over the final 18 minutes, ending Farmingdale’s historic season. The Dalers, who finished 14-4-3, had captured their first outright Nassau County and Long Island championships.
For Mamaroneck, the victory represented another significant milestone.
The Tigers, who also defeated Monroe-Woodbury 1-0 in overtime on Nov. 4, are returning to the state semifinals for the first time since 2021.
They will face Section 3 champion Baldwinsville on Friday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Middletown High School. A victory would send Mamaroneck into Saturday’s state championship game, where the program would have an opportunity to capture its first state title.
“I’ve been impressed with our mentality on and off the field; I haven’t had a team with this much confidence,” Mangan said. “Sometimes you just need to point them in the right direction a bit here and there, but they’ve been learning lessons all season, getting better every day.
“They’re dogs,” he added. “They’re not giving up.”
