Sports
2011 Preview: Sachem East Boys Soccer
In a league that features state-champion Brentwood and early-season favorite Ward Melville, Sachem eyes an elusive playoff appearance.
Head Coach: Matt Stallone, 8th season
2010 Record: 5-7-2 in League I
2011 Pre-season ranking: 4th
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Top Players
- Andrew Tinari, junior midfielder
- Demetrios Tsiokas, senior forward
- Will Silber, senior goalie
- Ansel Ueshiro, junior forward
- Nick Schook, senior forward/midfielder
Key Losses
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- Matt Bonomini, goalie
- Eric Link, fullback
- John Potter, fullback
- Anthony Ferraro, midfielder
Position Breakdown
Coach Matt Stallone’s strategy sounds straightforward. “We want to play very tough defense and open the throttle on offense,” he said.
This year, Stallone may just have the talent to do both, and get his team back into the playoffs.
Sachem returns some talented and experienced players on offense. Andrew Tinari returns for this third varsity season. An All-Conference selection last year, the junior midfielder will have added responsibility as he needs to pick up the slack left by the graduation of fellow midfielder Anthony Ferraro. Amongst returners, junior Ansel Ueshiro was top scorer last year. Like Tinari, Ueshiro has played on varsity since the ninth grade.
At midfield, Stallone expects a bigger role from Nick Schook. “He’s one of these kids that has the characteristics of a leader, and we need him to play that role,” Stallone said. Jason Santos will be relied on to add some scoring punch and solidify the midfield.
Senior goalie Will Silber steps in, replacing Matt Bonomini, one of 12 players Stallone lost to graduation.
“We can play a variety of styles,” Stallone said. “The level of soccer is excellent.”
Expectations
Missing post season last year by one game, Sachem will have its hands full with a tough schedule that includes New York State Class AA champion Brentwood. Last year, Sachem gave the Indians two tough contests, taking the Indians to double overtime in a 1 – 1 tie early in the season, and later losing 1 – 0 in overtime.
In addition to Brentwood, Commack will once again be a contender. And Ward Melville, which returns a slew of starters.
“This year, we’re aiming for the playoffs,” Stallone said. “In League I, all 14 games are going to be tough. The level of soccer is just that good. We need to be up for every game. We missed the playoffs by one game. If a team only gets up for certain games, then they don’t deserve to the in the playoffs.
“This group is very focused. They’re driven. They want to bring Sachem East soccer to another level.”
Key Games
- September 24 hosting Sachem North
- September 27 at Commack
- October 6 at Brentwood
- October 10 at Ward Melville
