As the buzzer sounded at Belson Stadium, the Chaminade bench rushed the field in pandemonium. The Flyers' fantastic season had ended in celebration - the team lifting its tenth New York State championship plaque triumphantly into the air as the cheers cascaded down from the stands on a chilly November evening.
"The team that we are now is not the same team that we were in September," said second-year head coach Brian Anselmo. "It took a lot of hard work and practice, but we got to a place where we were a team. That is what I will remember about this group."
After losing to Fordham Prep in the championship match last fall, the Flyers redeemed themselves by getting over the hump in 2025, conquering their competition along the way.
Their first big postseason obstacle came in the NSCHSAA league finals against St. Anthony's on November 2. Chaminade was firing on all cylinders from the start. 6:17 into the contest, NSCHSAA Offensive Player of the Year Jack Dorsey lasered home a free kick from just outside the box to give his Crimson and Gold a 1-0 advantage.
"Jack is the man. When we got that free kick, we expected him to score," recalled Anselmo. "Nothing that he does surprises us, and we know the potential that he has. He demonstrated that he is the best player in the league."
With 12:15 remaining in the first half, Dorsey doubled down, firing another goal past Co-NSCHSAA Goalie of the Year Cole Lawrence to extend the Flyers' lead to two.
"I knew that if I had at least one goal, I would put my team in a great position to win. Luckily enough, I scored two, but my teammates were the true reason I was able to," said Dorsey. "Safe to say, I could not have scored those goals without them. I wanted to win that game so bad, and there was no better feeling than being the one to score to help the team do that."
Chaminade kept its foot on the gas pedal with some dynamic defense, denying St. Anthony's of any big chances in the attacking third. Dorsey, Massimo Fargnoli, Massimo Bruno, and Co-NSCHSAA Defensive Player of the Year Robert Malave won countless 50/50 balls to keep possession in favor of the Flyers.
Then, the Crimson and Gold's attack struck again. After a steal, Diego Abrego angled a shot off the head of Gianluca Falanga, who perfectly deflected the ball to the left side of the net to give the Flyers a commanding 3-0 edge with 5:28 to play in the first half.
"I've gotten good at angling and directing headers just through repetition. I had a feeling Diego would shoot the ball, so I tried to put myself in the best position just in case it went wrong," said Falanga. "I positioned myself where I was able to get a touch; I knew the keeper would have been beaten."
With the Flyers maintaining a 3-0 lead at halftime, Anselmo stressed the importance of scoring the fourth goal of the game, explaining that it would be very difficult for the Friars to come back if Chaminade scored next.
But the Flyers never got that goal. Instead, it was St. Anthony's who found offensive success in the second half with not just one, but two tallies to swing the momentum and cut the deficit to one.
Down the stretch, the Flyers faced a good deal of pressure, but goalkeeper Athanasios Pasakiolis made multiple crucial saves to shut the door and help Chaminade win back-to-back NSCHSAA championships.
"It was a big win for us in general, keeping the team alive and together," said Pasakiolis. [St. Anthony's] having shots at me gave me more confidence in my own ability. There was a little pressure at the end, but as a leader, I have to keep the team together. I got through this by staying positive and motivated."
A week later, the Flyers traveled to Belson Stadium at St. John's University for the first round New York State playoffs. In its semifinal contest, Chaminade faced Monsignor Farrell.
Through their tenacious play in the midfield, the Flyers commanded the time of possession early on, but they weren't able to break through against the Lions' star goalkeeper, Dan Olivera. However, 30 minutes into the match, Dorsey once again made an impact to change that narrative.
Off a feed from Matthew Kucharnik, Dorsey ripped a swirling kick from the right wing that floated past the outstretched arms of Olivera and into the back of the net, mirroring his first goal in the league final. The superstar's fourth tally of the postseason gave the Crimson and Gold a 1-0 lead.
After more stellar defensive play through the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Flyers found another big opportunity, this time off the feet of Abrego. The senior midfielder slashed towards the box and switched the ball to his right foot. Then, he unloaded a rocket toward the bottom corner of the net that bent past Olivera to double the lead. It was Abergo's third goal of the season.
"As soon as we got into the state playoffs, I knew the mentality had to switch. All of us were so locked in," Abrego said. "Scoring that [goal] felt surreal. Having all my teammates celebrate with me is why we are a family. That is why we are state champions."
From there, Chaminade cruised to a 2-0 victory and advanced to the final. The Crimson and Gold tamed the Lions' offense, holding it to just one shot on goal over the match's 80 minutes.
"When we talk about the defense, we always think about the back four, but we really play 11-man defense," said Anselmo. "We play defense as a group, and we did a good job of that today."
To finish their spectacular postseason run, the Flyers faced off against Buffalo's Canisius Crusaders on Veteran's Day in a battle for the state crown. After three of Chaminade's shots hit the crossbar in its match against Monsignor Farrell, Anselmo wanted his guys to finish off their opportunities this time around.
Through the first 35 minutes of the contest, there were several gorgeous chances for the Flyers to break through, including one in which Dorsey saw an open net off a rebound, but Canisius goalkeeper Octavian Santacrose dove across just in time to make the stop.
The script flipped with five minutes remaining in the first half when junior Hudson Keefer made the most of his moment, scoring on a header off a perfect pass from the left wing by Alexander Blair to give the Flyers a 1-0 edge.
"The ball got played in, and I ran to the back post. Then, I headed the ball, but I didn't know if it was going to go in because the goalkeeper was pretty close," Keefer recalled. "When it found the back of the net, it was an incredible feeling. That is a goal that I'm not going to forget for a long time."
The Crusaders tried to mount a comeback through their offensive attack, and in the late stages of the second half, they nearly had their equalizer. Carter Amodeo raced towards the net and slid a shot on goal. But, just before it went in, Chaminade came up with its biggest save of the season, and it wasn't from Pasakiolis. Instead, it came from the foot of defender Connor Capobianco, who cleared the ball away just inches before it trickled in.
"Originally, all I was focused on was marking my man on the back post," said Capobianco. "As soon as I saw the attacker put the ball on net, I made the instinctive last-second decision to peel off and stop it from going in."
With one minute left, the Crusaders had their final chance from Austin Xiao, but it banged off the left post. The Flyers finished off the match by dribbling out the clock to earn the title.
"Last year, we were all devastated seeing the other team lift the trophy, and we had this drive to really want to win this year. We were one pulse as a group this year," said Malave. "The emotions are surreal. This is the stuff you tell your kids about."
With the victory, Anselmo picked up his first state championship, but the head coach was quick to give credit to his players:
"We have kids that are talented and coachable," said Anselmo, whose team finished the season ranked #5 in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. "We need them to buy in, and they did just that."
