In Bard’s six league losses, it yielded an average of three goals per match. The Raptors defense figures to be much improved this winter based on experience alone.
Augustus Saltonstall, Sebastien Gerard and Matthew Citrin all started last year – this is Gerard’s fourth straight season starting in the back and Citrin’s third – and talented sophomore Samuel Gilbert will move into net.
“I think a lot of teams are going to have to work to get past our defensive back four and our midfield will be strong,” Bard coach Winston McCoy said. “They are all strong players, club players. Right now our strength comes from our defense and working through our midfield.”
In addition to the stalwart defenders, center midfielder Dorian Wirz returns along with impressive young striker Eli Shirk, who scored seven goals as a freshman. The two, Wirz and Shirk, and the returning fullbacks will need to take on a leadership role for the team to have continued success.
“We have a lot younger core, dedicated players working real hard in the preseason,” McCoy said. “We’re going to keep doing what we did last year, play the team game and move the ball around.”
McCoy was pleased with Bard’s performance in its first year in Manhattan A. The team nearly upset eventual champion Beacon, finished fourth in the top division in the city and reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to John Adams.
“We’re trying to repeat what we did last year,” the coach said. “Every coach wants to win the entire thing – if they don’t say that, they’re not looking for the top right – but at this point we’re hoping to what we did last year: work hard, give a tough run to every team, the Beacons and MLKs. Depending on how things go in the playoffs, depending on seeding, we can go as far as our play carries us.”
After two years, Felix Fuksman is out and Vincent Miller is in as the Stuyvesant boys soccer coach. The school’s softball coach and JV volleyball coach, Miller has a young core of talented kids to work with, a group of players that came on late last year to finish third in Manhattan A behind MLK and Beacon. Veteran striker Krit McLean (15 goals) will lead Stuy’s attack and junior midfielder Horia Popa will orchestrate it.
Keeper Darren Hurley is nursing an ankle injury, midfielder Langston Sancez is out for the year because of injury, but Julia Richman coach Luis Flores remains optimistic. Why? The midfield duo of Yohannes Murphy and Seid Salih, a duo that each scored three goals a year ago and have only improved.
“Overall these are the players I’m going to count on,” Flores said. “Seid is a good leader, he’s versatile, he can play forward, he can play midfield. He’ll play any position you ask him to play. Yohannes is a very quick player and he’s always ready to play.”
Flores is hopeful Hurley can return soon and build on his first year in net. Getting off to a quick start will be a tough task for the Panthers as the season starts with dynamos Martin Luther King Jr. and Beacon.
“That could be a tough 1-2 punch,” the coach joked. “Last year we came very close to the playoffs, but I’m not sure how we’re gonna do this year. Hopefully we’ll be able to manage and do well.”
Lab Museum failed to reach the playoffs for the fourth straight season, but that doesn’t mean last year wasn’t a successful season. The Gators improved by four wins and are now eying a possible postseason berth. The return of junior Leo Folla and sophomore keeper Calvin Griffin, who more than held his own as a freshman, makes an even bigger jump a possibility and late October/early November soccer not out of the conversation.
Manhattan Center’s first year in the ‘A’ division was a humbling experience. After dominating Manhattan B-III, the Rams were thrust into the best division in the city and won just twice. They did prevail in their last contest, blanking A.P. Randolph, 1-0. There is hope for Center as leading scorer Francisco Osorio (five goals last fall) returns, along with keepers Melvin Lopez and Enrique Paulino.