Demetrios Haronitis believes there isn’t a dominant team in the PSAL Championship division. He also doesn’t see why his defensive-minded Tottenville squad can’t challenge for a city title. The Pirates, which lost 10 seniors, fell to eventually champion New Dorp in the semifinals last year.
“I think our defense is going to be our core,” he said. “We are definitely aggressive. We definitely want to be physical.”
Seniors Vincent Festa, Andrew Tanzi and Gary White will be its leaders. Festa isn’t afraid to body up his man and is excellent at scooping up ground balls. He has been a calming influence on the team’s younger players. Goalie Marc Erickson, a senior, will be back in the cage and is a great communicator and coordinator.
“He is very poised in the net with quick reflexes,” Haronitis said.
Senior attack Johnathan Shapiro will lead an inexperienced offense. Shapiro, who has four goals and two assists in three games this season, two of them wins, will be Tottenville’s quarterback in an offense that allows for a lot of freelance. His biggest help will come from midfielder Matt Abolt, who is known for the strength of his outside shot. Senior Mike Tamborra and Ben Sheinberg will start at midfield.
“He can put the ball where he wants,” Haronitis said of Shapiro.
Like Tottenville, Frederick Douglass Academy and first-year head coach Peter Vlahakis will rely on a top-notch defense. The former Fairfield standout believes Marcova McPherson is one of the best long poles in the league. He joins Thay Brown and Kareem Gibson on defense. Senior goalie Oliver Kelly and junior backup Kip Charles both return.
“He is a warrior,” Vlahakis said of Kelly, who will also play the field.
Parris Douglas will be the unquestioned leader of the FDA attack. He scored 20 goals last season and has three already this year. Bruising junior Jonathan Flores has already been a weapon with three goals and two assists. Freshman Kevin Goshorn will be looked to step up for a balanced attack. Danny Crawford and Nick Valez will lead the midfield and Florenzo Ortega is the squad’s faceoff specialist.
“Our offense needs to just get some chemistry,” Vlahakis said. “We have good individual players, but we are trying to get more assisted goals right now. We are an iso and dodge team.”
Last season, New Dorp was the team at the top, winning its first ever PSAL Class A title. It beat Midwood on an overtime goal by All-American Andrew Fiore. He, however, is one of 15 seniors gone from Brian Murphy’s club.
His younger brother Chris does return in goal and the Cental Cougars have a solid offensive squad. Matt Silverman, Simon Umanoff, Shawn Brackett and Robert Rollins will all be looked to for goals. Umanoff found the back of the next 35 times and had 15 assists last season and Silverman, who is off to a fast start, had 19 goals and 11 helpers a year ago. Justin Goldstein and Michaelangelo Attardo will lead the midfield.
Billy Nguyen, who had 19 goals and 11 assists last season, has eight goals in Columbus’ 3-0 start. The senior midfielder is one of the league’s top players on a team in its second season in the top division. Junior Paul Piquero will help with scoring, along with seniors Ronald Barrera and Admir Sabovic. Senior Ethan Ospina leads a defense that loses defender Michael Ababio and goalie Argenton Nova. James Madison looses nine seniors from a squad that topped Lehman, 4-3, for the PSAL Class B title last year.