By Dylan Butler
“He has the kind of ability where he can dominate the game, but sometimes he defers too much to others on the team,” Gilvary said.
The words stuck for Mohamed, who scored the game-winning goal and set up two others as Holy Cross came from behind to defeat Molloy, 3-2, in a thriller Tuesday at Alley Pond Park.
Mohamed clinched the game in the final minute on a perfectly executed set piece. On an indirect free kick at the top of the box, Milenovici touched the ball through Paredes' legs where Mohamed ran onto it, blasting the ball past Molloy senior keeper Michael Testa from 18-yards out to put Holy Cross (11-2-2, 7-1-1 Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan) ahead 3-2.
“We worked on that all day yesterday,” Mohamed said. “I'm usually unselfish. But when we went down I knew I had to step up my game. I know I have to play big.”
Molloy head coach Andy Kostel was less upset about giving up a dangerous set piece than the defensive miscue that allowed the Knights to tie the game three minutes earlier.
Mohamed's cross found Andrew Isopo – who went completely unmarked – at the top of the box. Isopo took a touch and beat Testa high to the near post to tie the game at 2.
“I don't know where the defense was, but I was calling for it and Tamer is great at crossing the ball,” Isopo said. “I just took a touch and put it in.”
“I hope this will be a lesson learned,” Kostel said. “The lesson is to take nothing for granted, everything is up in the air. If they learn this lesson will be determined in a couple of weeks.”
Holy Cross took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute when senior Robbie Lehman controlled the ball after a Mohamed corner kick, settled it and scored low to the far post from 20 yards out.
Molloy (12-5, 7-1 Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan) answered with a pair of goals 10 minutes apart midway through the second half. The Stanners completely outhustled Holy Cross on their go-ahead goal in the 70th minute as an unbelievable effort by sophomore Alex Silaco saved the ball from going out over the end line. Michael Forlenza eventually corralled the ball in the box and put it past Holy Cross junior keeper Daniel Cinelli.
“I'm cautiously optimistic heading into the last couple of weeks,” Gilvary said. “We definitely made progress. If we made enough progress will be determined soon.”
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
