With the score even going into the final quarter, Garden City displayed its championship mettle yet again, scoring four of the final five goals to defeat Comsewogue, 9-6, and earn the Long Island Class B championship at Hofstra`s James M. Garden City`s goal-scoring barrage in the fourth fittingly mirrored its current run of success on this stage, as the Trojans won their fourth Long Island championship over the past five seasons. The meeting was a rematch of last season`s showdown, which Garden City won 5-1. “It means everything to us,” said Henry Gibbons, who broke a tie at 5 at the 9:36 mark before sealing the title with the final goal with 37.
2 seconds remaining. The younger guys learn so much from us in practice and it helps prepare them to keep it going. ”Stevie Finnell, son of coach Steve Finnell, followed up Gibbons` go-ahead goal with one of his own 37 seconds later. “Going into this game we knew this was going to be hard,” Schmitt said.
Trailing 4-2 at halftime, Comsewogue (13-6) battled back with three unanswered goals to take its first lead late in the quarter. Gibbons proceeded to tie it with just under a minute left and set the stage for another Garden City Long Island championship-clinching finish. “Every year is different with an awesome group of kids,” Steve Finnell said of Garden City`s dynastic run. In a frightening moment less than four minutes into the game, Comsewogue midfielder Thomas Kennedy received a hard hit and was tended to by medical staff while remaining down for approximately 40 minutes before being stretchered off the field and transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance.
Comsewogue coach Peter Mitchell said after the game that Kennedy was OK, speaking and had movement in all his extremities.
