History has been made for American Soccer Club New York.
The Fighting Tomcats secured the first National Premier Soccer League playoff berth in franchise history with a 3-1 victory over Osner's FC on Wednesday night at Queens College, capping off a memorable regular season and earning the opportunity to compete for a conference championship.
Leading the way was Junior Rosero, who delivered a spectacular performance by scoring all three goals for the Fighting Tomcats. His hat trick helped American Soccer Club NY finish the regular season with a 4-2-4 record and punch its ticket to the postseason.
"Making the postseason was a priority for us, and the team is happy to deliver on that," Head Coach John Fitzgerald said. "Last year, we missed out by a point, and this year's conference is at a higher level and more competitive. Wednesday night's performance was not our sharpest, but the grit and determination by the boys was on display. Now, our full focus is on our next match."
Rosero gave the Fighting Tomcats an early 1-0 lead in the 17th minute when he converted a direct free kick. Osner's FC answered just before halftime to send the teams into the break tied at 1-1.
The second half belonged to Rosero.
He restored the lead in the 61st minute after finishing a pass from Bradyn Brown before completing his hat trick 10 minutes later, converting a feed from Leo Pinto to seal the historic victory.
"We came into tonight's game knowing our playoff chances were in our hands," Rosero said. "We were able to get on the board early and then stepped off the gas for a while until the second half when we figured it out more. I'm excited for these playoffs, and I'm confident in the team and what we are capable of in this league. I was brought in to help with the playoff push. We can check that off, and now we take it one game at a time."
The Fighting Tomcats will now face the New York Shockers in the North Atlantic Conference Semifinal on Wednesday, July 8, in Albany. A victory would send American Soccer Club NY to the conference championship against New Haven United, bringing the club one step closer to an unforgettable postseason run.