Albany Survives Syracuse in an All-Time Classic

Winner winner, chicken dinner

For the final game of the 2025 league season, the Albany Rebels footballers traveled to Syracuse to take on last year’s New York Cup runners-up.

Over the last few years, the games between these two upstate rivals have all looked pretty similar. Syracuse has a couple of guys who can boot the ball long and do an excellent job of swarming the ball and creating chaos in the attack to create goals–they’ve since developed some point scorers too. When the Rebels win the ball and connect a couple of passes, the Rebels win. When they don’t, Syracuse wins. This game had a bit of both.

First Half Score:

Albany: 2-7 (13)

Syracuse: 1-3 (6)

In the first half, Syracuse managed to grab a goal against the run of play. Outside of that, the Rebels were in complete control. Rookie Jason Chicione was a revelation in midfield, winning the ball and banging over a tough point with a man draped all over his back. Fullback RC Helsing and returning half-back Des Norris patrolled the back line putting out fires as Syracuse tried to break through. Kevin Clifford scored three points from frees and combined with Marc Massena was key to moving the ball through midfield. Old man Cillian Flavin even joined in the fun with two points of his own.

The highlight of the first half had to be the best goal this writer has ever seen on a Gaelic football pitch (or a soccer field where Gaelic football was awkwardly squeezed in). 

The Rebels had won a sideline ball right at the end of the 1st quarter (we played quarters due to the heat). Bantry phenom, Kevin Clifford, inbounded the ball to Mark Adam. Mark played it back to Kevin. Kevin looked around, didn’t see much opportunity and played it back to Mark. Mark did the same thing and came to the same conclusion and fired a YOLO ball into the box. Pierre Massena was camped out in the box and if nothing else is on a YOLO his way isn’t a bad play. The ball sailed a bit and was heading out of bounds when Pierre, falling backward, reached up and batted the ball with both hands back and down in front of goal to the exact spot his brother, Marc Massena, was running into. Marc caught the ball and fired a goal. Jaws dropped on both sides. Pierre went down clutching his injured shoulder while Craig yelled at him to man-up and get up.

Final Score:

Albany: 4-10 (22)

Syracuse: 3-11 (20)

The second half was a completely different story. The Rebels struggled to win their own kickouts. Over eager to gain some possession, they consistently dove in on tackles and let Syracuse runners go right by them. When the Rebels had possession, they drifted away from the handpasses that had worked well in the first half, instead shooting for homerun balls up to the forward line. To be fair to Albany, it is tough to play and maintain a possession game on the tight confines of a soccer field especially as your legs tire and there isn’t space to get away from the constant pressure.

Heading into the 4th quarter, things still looked good for Albany. Syracuse had gotten the better of play in the 3rd quarter, but a goal ripped by Mark Adam off the outside of his boot into the upper 90 and points by Jason Chicione and a first ever score from Rookie Alex Bielfeld had the Rebels extend their lead to 8. Excellent saves by Pat Curran and stalwart play at the back had kept Syracuse’s success from showing too much on the scoreboard.

The wheels came off with 5 minutes left. The Syracuse advantage in the 4th quarter had only grown as they began to hit points–often off soft but stupid fouls committed by Albany. They managed to nab a pair of quick goals to tie the game. Then, with Albany finally playing smart defense, they hit a beauty of a long score to take their first lead of the day. 

Enter Pierre Massena with a minute left in the game.

On the ensuing kickout, Joe Chicione made a very smart off-ball decision. Joe is a long-time Rebel and has consistently been the 13th man for many games we’d otherwise have had to forfeit over the years. He doesn’t get a ton of playing time, but today he made it count. Joe was playing full-forward. To create space on a small field, he took the man marking him and went and stood all the way on the far endline and well off to the side of the Syracuse goal. This meant, when Pierre Massena won the kickout deep in the Syracuse half, there was one fewer defender available to get in his way. If that fullback wasn’t all the way against the line, he would’ve been able to cut the angle of Pierre’s run and probably prevent the game-winning goal. But he couldn’t get there in time and Pierre was able to maneuver around a mob of four orange players–with Craig Larsen barging forward to help clear a path and Jason Chicione following up in support–to blast the winning goal home. It’s the small things you don’t see in the box score that make the big things possible: great play, Joe!

Other highlights: player/coach Henry Best successfully completed a left-footed kickpass in a game for the first time in his 7-year career and was called for a career high 3 fouls (he was also almost decapitated and didn’t do much else besides run around and look pretty). Dylan Conklin slapped a ball away from goal at the last second early in the 2nd half in his return from injury. Marc Massena joined Henry Best in the Albany Rebels Own Goal Club (and still managed to have one of his best games ever as a Rebel)! The Rebels remain undefeated when Liam Healey bails at the last minute due to work.

Said Coach Henry Best to the team after the game: “We needed one like that. It was starting to look like a classic Albany Rebels meltdown. But you didn’t hang your heads and you found a way to pull it out. We needed that. I’m proud of how you guys played today.”

Said Captain Des Norris on the day of his return to play: “Encouraging performance and result from all the lads. Syracuse had us on the back foot in the second half, but we dug deep and got the scores needed to come away with the win. On a personal level, it was great to shake off the rust and get a full game under my belt. Not my best game by any means, lots to work on between now and Midwest.”

Game-winner Pierre Massena: “Gaelic football is like soccer on steroids.”

Go Donegal! Beat Kerry!

Scorers:

Pierre Massena: 2-1

Mark Adam: 1-1

Kevin Clifford: 0-3

Marc Massena: 1-0

Cillian Flavin: 0-2

Jason Chicione: 0-2

Alex Bielfeld: 0-1 (first ever!)

Game Ball Goes to the Game Winner: Pierre Massena (Honorable Mention: Jason Chicione)

Irish Viking of the Game (heaviest hitter): RC Helsing

The Rebels will be the #2 seed at the Midwest Championships and will face off against Rochester in the first round for the right to see whether or not Pittsburgh Junior D is actually a Junior D team or just an Intermediate team in disguise. 

Sign up for the Albany Rebels Coed Rec League while you’re here!

Final NY Cup Standings:

1. Buffalo Fenians 2-1

2. Albany Rebels 2-1

3. Roc City 1-2

4. Syracuse Gaels 1-2