Francis Lewis boys soccer coach Roger Sarmuksnis wasn’t happy with the Patriots after their 2-2 tie against Bayside. In turn, the players weren’t happy with themselves, either.
They took it out on bitter rival Cardozo in a 3-0 home victory Monday afternoon. Star midfielder Sebastian Guenzatti scored twice, keeper-turned-forward Sam Mignon added another goal, his first of the year, and midfielder Ricky Rada had two assists.
“It finally looks like we are piecing it together,” Sarmusknis said. “The guys were really focused on getting a win. They really were focused on not repeating what happened against Bayside, and using that as a focal point. They don’t want that to happen again. They know they should’ve won that game.”
Keeper Chris Herrera picked up his first victory in net, replacing Mignon. Sarmuksnis made the change not because he was unhappy with Mignon’s play in net, but to strengthen the Patriots (3-0-1) at two positions. Mignon, a senior, played up front as a freshman, but moved to goal – on his own at first – because Lewis enjoyed an embarrassment of riches at forward at the time.
“He said, ‘Coach, I went from goal to goal,’” Sarmuksnis recalled. “He plays forward whenever he gets the chance in practice, he’s scored goals in non-league games. We always knew he had the ability and skill to perform. He got a goal today, so that just proves it.”
The biggest change Sarmuksnis made was deciding on a form starting 11 from his 28-man roster. The coaching staff worked primarily with them and assigned specific roles to everyone else. He also emphasized returning to the team’s strength of playing the ball on the ground with short, quick passes, whether they received beneficial calls or not.
“It seemed to work,” Sarmuksnis said.