Long Island Academy

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Academy's Season Ends Against Atlantic City

July 20, 2007-The devil is in the details. The Long Island Academy played very well at the Atlantic City Diablos in the National Premier Soccer League playoffs tonight but lost, 1-0, on a 80th minute goal. The match was played at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, New Jersey.

Academy goalkeeper Billy Gatti of Baldwin made seven saves during the evening.

A header from the Academy's Karim Diallo hit the post in the first half and a Maurice Brown kick hit the post in the second.

"A little bit unlucky. I thought this was our best performance of the season," commented Academy head coach Paul Riley. "Atlantic City is good and physical and they played well too."

As the two teams played to 0-0 stalemates against one another in early June, Long Island and Atlantic City went the first 260 minutes without a goal in this series.

Long Island finished their expansion season at 5-3-3 and a goal differential of 19 to 10 while the Diablos are 6-1-4, 17 goals scored and 5 conceded. Atlantic City travels to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester on Sunday to take on 7-2-1 Queen City FC, the Northeast Conference's top seeded team, in the division finals.

"I'm very happy for the season we had for our first-year franchise. The guys played well and sure, we would have liked to advance to the next round, but we'll be back next year," Coach Riley concluded.

The Academy's sister squad, the national champion Long Island Fury, hope to have better luck with Atlantic City tomorrow night, July 21, 6 pm, at St. Augustine Prep in the second round of the Women's Premier Soccer League playoffs.