Wyandanch gains confidence after win
Wyandanch soccer players, left to right, Ronnie "Joel" Rivas, Leon Allen, and Jose Esquivel. (Sept. 28, 2011) Credit: George A. Faella
Monday marked the beginning of what the Wyandanch boys soccer team hopes will be a new era. The Warriors registered their first varsity win in three years -- and only the second in 24 years -- beating Mercy, 3-1, in Wyandanch's home opener.
"I think [the win] really changed our team's thinking for the season," coach James Bopp said. "We're excited to get one under our belts and I think that will go a long way for the rest of the season."
The school reinstated boys soccer in 2008, after suspending it in 1987. Three years ago, the team lost all but one game. It disbanded again in 2009, Bopp said, after students were discouraged by the team's lack of success. The program returned again last season but failed to win a game.
On Monday, the Warriors held a 2-1 lead in the second half when midfielder Jose Esquivel sent a ball deep into Mercy's end of the field midway through the second half. Forward Leon Allen chased it down and beat the Mercy keeper one-on-one for his second goal of the game, giving Wyandanch its final goal in the 3-1 victory.
"Mercy turned up the pressure in the last 15 minutes but our goalie Joel Rival made a few big stops and that was it," Bopp said.
Wyandanch athletic director Ken McCloud said that despite the program's past struggles, this year's team has reason to believe it can finish at .500 and accomplish its goal of reaching the playoffs. Most of the players on this year's team were on Bopp's successful junior varsity squad that lost only one game in 2009, and McCloud believes that the experience could make this the team that turns the program around.
"These kids have been [together] since JV and most of them are seniors now," McCloud said. "We've all been through some bumps and bruises, so we thought this year, we had as good of a chance as ever to have a good year."
