Joey Spallina Scores Game Winning Goal in Long Island Class C Championship
Joey Spallina led Mount Sinai to a one goal win in the Long Island Class C championship game against Manhasset on Saturday. Spallina scored the game winner with 12 seconds left to play to give his team the title, with Syracuse head coach Gary Gait in attendance. You can watch video the game winning goal in the tweet embedded below.
The title caps a monster season for the Syracuse commit, who is considered the best player in the entire 2022 class. Spallina had 121 points in 17 games this year, an average of more than seven points per game. This despite being the focal point of the opponent's game plan.
Earlier this season, Spallina set a Suffolk County record with 13 assists in a game. Twelve of those 13 came in the first half.
“The team we played ran a zone and I just picked it apart,” Spallina said after that game. “Honestly I didn’t think it was even possible. The best part is it was the first game in my high school career I didn’t score a goal. So crazy. But got to give credit to my teammates. They were the ones playing off of me and cutting hard. We really were just playing together and having fun and scoring easy goals. But 12 in the first half was crazy.
“I’m a leader and captain. So for me to have that many assisted goals is huge for our team moving forward and us being a complete offense. Some games teams slide early, sometimes late, so we have to be able to beat teams different ways. My dad (Stony Brook women’s lacrosse head coach Joe Spallina) always told me assists are worth two points, goals worth one.”