North Salem soccer repeats as state champions

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - For the second straight year, North Salem’s boys soccer team can call themselves state champions.

The Tigers put an exclamation point on a dominant playoff campaign on Sunday, Nov. 16, with a 3-0 win over the Wilson High School Lakemen.

Throughout the postseason, North Salem’s offense overpowered opponents while a stifling defense surrendered only one goal.

The state title match at Middletown High School would be no different.

The Tigers were on the board only minutes into the game courtesy of a goal from sophomore Steven Gamez. From there, the squad would continue running Coach Ron Hendrie’s patented playbook, and the result was academic.

North Salem would continue their relentless pressure on the Lakemen, hitting the post twice in the following minutes and holding the Section 6 champions to a single shot in the first half.

With their second straight title only 40 minutes away, the Tigers kept rolling in the second half, going up 2-0 on a goal from Juben Lazri off an assist from Jhon Rodriguez.

Senior Sean Randall would find the back of the net on a penalty kick minutes later, putting the game out of reach as the clock ticked down.

As time expired, the Tigers swarmed the field, once again sitting atop Class C as state champions.

The win marks the fourth title for Coach Hendrie, who shared an emotional moment with his team before the squad performed their signature chant one final time in front of the cheering North Salem fans.

Following the win in Middletown, the Tigers returned home with an escort from the Croton Falls Fire Department, a fitting hero’s welcome for a team that has once again etched their names into the history books.