Core Four Helps Boys Soccer Start the Season Strong

The Kings Park boys soccer team went through a lot off the field before the season began. It was announced by the board of education that head coach Tom Nally would no longer lead the team in early September.

Bill Hender, a former boys’ soccer coach, stepped in to fill the void left by Nally. If anything could disrupt a team it would be a distraction like this. It was up to senior captains Matt Piexoto, Andrew Moorman, Andrew Graci and Andrew Mayrick to hold the team together. And hold it together they have.

The team sits at 4-2 overall and are 3-0 at home. They put on a clinic in an early season 10-0 dismantling of Rocky Point and showed they could play well in close games too with a tight 1-0 league win over Eastport-South Manor and it has been their captains leading the way.

“The four of them have been playing together for a while so they understand what needs to be done both on and off the field,” Hender said. “It’s like having four more assistant coaches within the program. They’re doing a real nice job of knowing the game and also knowing how to lead.”

On the field it works out well for Kings Park because the skill and leadership of each player is spread out.

Moorman, the team’s center defender, anchors a tough defense. “He’s a real strong player,” Hender said. “He controls not only our defense but the middle of the field.  He wins about every 50/50 ball that is possible and picks and times his runs up the field very well so you’ll see him at the end of a couple of offensive plays.”

Piexoto is the teams center midfielder and is responsible at both ends of the field. “He controls the middle of the field, that’s his job, that’s been his job since he was on varsity as a freshman,” Hender said. “He distributes the ball and when he gets the opportunity he can finish but his unselfishness is a lot more important to us as a team.”

The team relies on Gracie, the quickest player on the team, to score big goals and lead the offense. “He’s not the biggest guy on the field but certainly one of the hardest workers,” Hender said. “He has very strong foot skills, wins a lot of balls against guys that are bigger and stronger than him but he just wills his way though it and he has a knack for scoring some timely goals.”

Add Mayrick – who Hender said was named the fourth captain during the third week of school – and his ability to do anything asked of him and you complete the mix.

“He brings a lot of energy as a center midfielder,” Hender said. “He’s strong, wins a lot of 50/50 balls and distributes well and is versatile. He can play on the outside in the midfield, in the back, fills a lot of roles for us.”

With these four players and nine other seniors at his disposal, Hender realizes the impact that group has on the team.

“It’s vitally important,” he said. “The whole senior core of 13 guys is a great group of guys. From the first minute that we stepped on the field it’s been one cohesive group, we’ve stuck together.”