Sports

Boys Soccer: Road back to states begins today

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck's Oscar Puluc, right, tracking down Center Moriches' Josue Lazo-Molina.
GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck’s Oscar Puluc, right, tracking down Center Moriches’ Josue Lazo-Molina.

Their season ended in heartbreak a year ago. In a game where the Mattituck boys soccer team outplayed its opponent throughout, the Tuckers came up short, 3-1, in the state semifinals against Livonia at Middletown State High School last November.

This afternoon, the Tuckers’ journey back to states begins.

Mattituck, the No. 1 seed in Class B, will host No. 4 Southampton — a familiar playoff rival — at 3 p.m. today in the first round of the playoffs. On the opposite side of the bracket, second-seeded Center Moriches will face No. 3 Hampton Bays.

The 13-2 Tuckers come into the playoffs ranked fourth in New York by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Livonia, at 17-0, is the No. 1 ranked team.

Mattituck won twice against Southampton in the regular season. The Tuckers won 2-1 Sept. 17 and 3-1 Oct. 7.

The Tuckers open the playoffs having not allowed a goal in the last five matches. Southampton was the last team to put one in the back of the net against Mattituck.

The winner of today’s game plays in the county championship Saturday at Diamond in the Pines.

Check back tonight for full coverage from this afternoon’s match.