Sports

Boys Soccer: Some Ilgin magic brings Tuckers fourth straight Suffolk crown

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck's Mario Arreola appeared to lose his balance while being pressured by Center Moriches' Mike Colombi.
GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck’s Mario Arreola appeared to lose his balance while being pressured by Center Moriches’ Mike Colombi.

SUFFOLK CLASS B FINAL | TUCKERS 5, RED DEVILS 1

The fourth time certainly was the charm for Mattituck’s boys soccer team and its junior midfielder, Kaan Ilgin, on Saturday.

Ilgin scored three goals within a nine-minute span in the second half and set up another to boost the Tuckers to their fourth consecutive Suffolk County Class B championship, registering a 5-1 victory over archrival and 10-man Center Moriches at Diamond in the Pines in Coram.

It was only the second time in modern Mattituck history that the Tuckers (15-2) have won four successive county crowns, duplicating the feat of the 1997-2000 teams that won four straight Class C titles.

Mattituck will meet Nassau County champion Carle Place (14-0-2), a 3-2 winner over Wheatley on Saturday, in Coram at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in a regional semifinal.

As in their 2-1 semifinal win over Southampton on Wednesday, the Tuckers allowed their opposition to tally first. This time it was senior forward Mike Colombi doing the honors, converting a throw-in from Sean Finnegan past goalkeeper Steven Ostrowski with the game but 80 seconds old.

The Red Devils (12-5-1) dominated early play as they were all over Mattituck before the champions regained their balance and rhythm later in the opening period.

Junior midfielder Kevin Williams, playing with a cast on his left arm despite suffering a broken bone Wednesday, knotted things up at 1-1 in the 24th minute, putting home a left-wing feed from James Hayes.

Ilgin, who had been doubled covered for most of the first half, found his game in the second period. Hayes turned goal scorer in the 50th minute when he flicked home a Ilgin free kick from the right wing for a 2-1 advantage.

Then it was time for Ilgin to take center stage. He gave the Tuckers some much-needed breathing room, scoring off a Mario Arreola feed in the 55th minute. He increased the Tuckers’ lead with a shot to the lower left corner only 45 seconds later.

After Daniel Franchi was red-carded for undercutting Ostrowski in the 56th minute, Ilgin closed out the scoring.