July 27, 2008-A penalty kick by Academy defender Tom Lobben in the 119th minute gave the Long Island Academy a 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Aztecs in the National Premier Soccer League playoffs tonight. The game was played in front of a wet crowd at New York Hota's Park Stadium in Franklin Square. The Academy advances to the NPSL Final Four next weekend at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

Although the weather was dismal, the game started brightly for the Academy when Jose Batista scored from 10 yards in the 3rd minute after Shaun Higgins' dribble hugged the goal line and he passed back to an open Batista. Gustavo Dias made it 2-0 in the 26th minute when he received a square pass from Batista and found the net from six yards. The Academy's Mark Secko and Chris Giuffrida both had chances to put the game away midway through the second half but they could not. The home team rued those missed chances several minutes later.

A 12-yard strike by the Aztecs' Mike DeSantis found the corner of the net past sprawling Academy keeper Billy Gatti in the 83rd minute. Matt Lemire's 10-yard header off a corner kick in the 89th minute knotted the score with Peter Antonides getting the assist.

As overtime loomed, the momentum had clearly swung over to the Aztecs and the Academy was in the difficult spot of having already substituted their four leading scorers--Batista, Dias, Higgins and Keith Detelj. Who was going to step up and be a hero?

A five-yard header by the Academy's Secko that was saved by Aztec keeper Pete LeVasseur in the 91st minute was the only good opportunity at goal during the first overtime.

Midway through the second overtime, most of the Aztecs had lost their legs on Park Stadium's expansive 120 x 80 yard field so Academy head coach Adrian Gaitan moved defender Arman Osooli to the forward line. In the 119th minute, perilously close to the lottery of a penalty kick shootout, Osooli dribbled up the left wing and was tripped just after entering the penalty area. Referee Stevan Ambrus made no hesitation in pointing to the penalty mark and Lobben calmly slotted the ball home. The Academy advanced to the NPSL Final Four over a very game Boston Aztec team.

"We had complete control of the game and fell asleep in the last 10 minutes (of regulation). In the last 10 minutes, we don't need to look pretty, we just need to be effective and we can't afford mistakes like that now that we're going for a national championship," commented Academy head coach Adrian Gaitan.