CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- Like it or not, it has become a trademark for the East Meadow Arsenal at the President's Cup this weekend.  In just about every game in the tournament the Arsenal has gotten of to a slow start and comes on strong near the end, many times leaving it to the 11-hour to secure a tie or a win. Take, for instance, what transpired at Clifton Commons Sunday. With time running out in regulation, Harrison Dorcilien fired home a long free kick to lift East Meadow to a 1-0 victory and into the Boys Under-13 final.

The Arsenal will meet the Suffield Wildcats (Conn.) in Monday's championship game at 8 a.m. at Clifton Commons. The winner will clinch at berth at the national finals in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on July 8-11.

On Saturday, the teams played to a 2-2 draw, equalizing on a goal with 15 seconds left in the game. Given East Meadow's history in this tournament, that result actually was par for the course.

"That was a super exciting game," Arsenal coach James Walsh said. "I think we had the better of the play in the second half and we pulled out the tie, which was great for the boys. they played well the whole rest of the tournament."

But getting off to slow in the President's Cup has been a malady that East Meadow has found difficult ot shake.

"It seems this tournament we've started out slow in almost every game," Walsh said. "the first half it was not great and in the second half, they really turned it on."

Asked if he had a theory why about the slow start, Walsh replied with a laugh, "I think eight o'clock in the morning games."

Besides its sluggish beginnings, Arsenal also has had to overcome a slim bench. East Meadow started the tournament with only 13 players. The team lost one player when John DeBenidittis broke his wrist. He was sent home, leaving Arsenal with only 12 players, which meant only one sub.

That's not good when you're playing four games over three days in 80-degree plus weather. Immediately after the game, training coach Jeff Cross started to get the team properly prepared for Monday's encounter. He reminded the players of that.

"We were supposed to get a 90-degree heat today and thank God it didn't come because . . . we had only one sub today," Walsh said. "It's tough. It s a tribute to these boys. Four games in two days is brutal for these kids. With one sub, it's even more brutal. But they prevailed, I am very happy for them."

Walsh was confident and hopeful that Arsenal would win Monday.

"I think we're as good as any team out there right now, when we play our game," he said.

"We have a good core of kids who have been our players since day one, since they were 10. We're picking up players every season and they start meshing. We have a fantastic coach in Jeff Gross. They really get a long well as a group and they're passionate for the game. There's no question."

end it