Lennon Mane had just scored the winning goal in double overtime to send Bethlehem to its first-ever state final when coach Brian Spina asked him a simple question: "Are you good with the semifinal goal or do you want more?" Mane’s answer was clear. "I'm not done," he said.
Mane backed up those words on Sunday at Middletown High School, scoring a goal and assisting on two others as Bethlehem overwhelmed Vestal 5-0 to claim the Section 2 program’s first state boys’ soccer championship. The Eagles dominated from the opening whistle and finished the season undefeated, 18-0-3.
Senior Ayaz Sajid scored twice, both times assisted by Mane, while Ishan Chatur and Luke Tatro added goals in the second half. Junior goalkeeper Parker Mooney preserved the shutout, marking Bethlehem’s seventh consecutive clean sheet and 16th overall this season.
Bethlehem’s pressure was immediate. Within the first 10 minutes, they fired five shots on goal. Sajid came close with an early free kick that just missed, then broke the deadlock about 15 minutes in after Mane set him up.
With roughly 10 minutes left in the first half, Mane received a pass from Ian NeJame, shifted to his right, and launched a shot over the Vestal goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Vestal nearly responded before halftime, but Mooney leapt to push a free kick from outside the penalty area over the crossbar.
The two-goal lead was familiar territory for Bethlehem, who had twice let a lead slip in similar situations earlier in the season. At halftime, Spina reminded his seniors they had just 40 minutes left in their high school careers and urged them to maintain focus.
"The first half we played as well as we could have," Spina said. "So it was more about keeping mentality and going forward, and saying it's not done yet."
The Eagles did not ease off. Two minutes after the break, Chatur extended the lead to 3-0. Then Mane skillfully moved past a defender on the right flank and crossed to Sajid, who volleyed the ball in with 26 minutes left.
Mane described the connection with Sajid simply: "I know he'll always be there when I cross it." Sajid returned the compliment, saying, "I love that man. He's one of my favorite players I've ever played with."
Tatro capped the scoring with a goal 14 minutes before full time, sealing a dominant performance that included a 21-2 advantage in shots.
The journey to this title was marked by previous near-misses. Two years ago, Bethlehem’s season ended with a 2-0 loss to Clarence at the same venue in the state semifinals. Last year, they lost 1-0 to Columbia in double overtime in the Section 2 final, and then graduated 18 players. This season, the team went 10-0-2 in Suburban Council play, completing an unbeaten run.
Spina called the victory the most the team could win and said the smiles on his players’ faces made all the hard work worthwhile.
"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me in my career," Sajid said after the game.
Mane, still grinning, described it as the "best win ever."
According to Yahoo Sports.
