It’s been a historic year for the Dalers boys soccer team, which claimed its first Long Island championship with a 2-1 win over Lindenhurst on Wednesday — and the squad got a kick from an impromptu parade home with blaring fire trucks and troves of fans waiting for them on campus late at night.
“We had a dance party in front of the high school,” longtime head coach Brian Weber told The Post. “It was parents, the superintendent. I mean, everybody was out — and it was just amazing. I just stood back and tried to take it all in.”
As if the dream team needed any more injected emotion, it’s also been a cathartic experience for the boys who have rallied around junior striker Adam Vitulano.
His father, John, died from liver cancer during the playoffs, and the group became Vitulano’s extended family, he said.
“The bond that they formed certainly later in the season, and certainly up to now, is unbreakable,” Weber said. “They really love each other.”
Vitulano netted a golden, double-overtime goal that put Farmingdale into the Nassau finals the day after his father succumbed to cancer.
“I know exactly what it meant to him,” the coach said.
Farmingdale’s next challenge will be against Westchester’s Mamaroneck in the state championship regional final at Byram Hills High School in Armonk on Saturday.
“We just have been taking it one game at a time and not wanting this magical run to end.”
Sisters act
Carle Place’s Reedy sisters are hopped up for a state championship run.
The Frogs are fortunate to have this pair of siblings on their Long Island title-winning team, as senior midfielder Madison and sophomore defender Tyler have a cold-blooded connection on the pitch.
“We automatically change, and I take her position, she’ll take my position,” Madison told The Post. “For that split moment, it’s almost like she’s me and I’m her.”
The Reedy girls and Carle Place are gearing up for their biggest challenge yet — a state championship regional qualifier against Westchester powerhouse Pleasantville at Farmingdale State College on Sunday.
“Just knowing that we may not have another day is motivating us,” said Madison, who will play lacrosse at Northwestern next year.
It’s doubly emotional for Tyler, who is embracing these final soccer games alongside her big sis.
“The sister bond on the field, it’s different,” Tyler said.
“There’s a trust in knowing that she’s playing behind me,” Madison added. “Even though she’s two years younger, she has such a big impact on the field.”
Now they want to show the Empire State what Carle Place soccer is all about.
“I think we can shock the world,” Madison said.
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