Christian Pena's shot finds net to lift Babylon boys soccer past Mattituck in double overtime
Christian Pena, left, gets congratulated by teammates after his double-overtime goal won it for Panthers on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Through two halves and one 10-minute overtime period, the scoreboard remained stuck on zeros.
So two boys soccer teams were now in the fading daylight on the field out back of Mattituck High Wednesday playing the second and final session of sudden death.
Finally, there was a goal with 6:36 left by Babylon, a 1-0 winner over the Tuckers in a Suffolk IV game between two teams that had already clinched a berth in the county’s Class B tournament.
Christian Pena took the deciding shot from just wide of the right side of the net. Babylon credited him with the goal.
“I think that this goal was definitely the most special to me,” said the junior, who has eight this season. “I think we’re the type of team that no matter what type of game we’re in, we always pull through in the end.
“ . . . I used my strength to keep the ball away from the defenders and I shot it back post.”
While Pena saw it as a non-deflected shot past junior goalkeeper Cris Cuellar, who otherwise starred with 10 saves, Mattituck coach Dan O’Sullivan felt it was “an own goal” off of a defender’s foot.
“We saw it, our goalie saw it, that it was going wide and then our defender put it in,” O’Sullivan said.
No matter. However it got in, it counted.
One thing that Babylon (10-2-1, 9-1) and Mattituck (7-4-2, 7-3) had in common was excellent defense.
“One of the reasons why we’ve won five (consecutive Class B) county titles is our defense,” Panthers coach Dennis McGovern said. “If you look at the scores of our games, we don’t blow anybody out.”
Senior goalkeeper Trace Cerrone made three saves for his shutout. McGovern called him “the best keeper in the league.”
“I’ve worked very hard with my back four,” Cerrone said. “I’ve done multiple trainings, talked to them very deeply. They’re able to transition to whatever is in the way.”
Soon Babylon will begin pursuit of a sixth straight crown.
“I think we’re in a good position,” McGovern said, “but one of things we always say is we stay humble and we work hard.”
The frustrated Tuckers could take heart in taking the five-time defending champs to double OT.
“It’s a big confidence booster,” O’Sullivan said. “ . . . Like I said to them, ‘If you can go out and give that work rate and that effort, good things are coming for us.’ ”
