Baldwin to contend for playoffs

Coming off an 8-4-3 season that culminated with an appearance in the Nassau Class AA boys’ soccer quarterfinals, Baldwin will look to contend in Conference AA-II behind a mix of seniors and underclassmen.

“We’re young, but we’re not inexperienced,” Bruins coach Mike Palumbo said. “We have a lot of skill and ability, but we’re small. Having big, physical players helps, especially in the air, and we’ll have to make up for it with speed and on set plays,”
he said.

Leading the charge for Baldwin is senior center-midfielder Lucio Sorto, a three-year starter who’s moving from the outside. He’ll be asked to distribute offensive and lockdown opponents defensively, Palumbo said, and be a team leader. “Lucio’s embraced the role of captain,” Palumbo said. “He’s a tremendous finesse player and we have a lot of things riding on him. He’s going to lead us at both ends and take all the free kicks and corners.”

Also helping control the middle will be junior Greg Abrahams, who filled a utility role a year ago. “We used him just about everywhere, but now we have a permanent spot for him,” Palumbo said. “He’s got explosive power and I’m looking for him to  be aggressive and push the ball often.”

Senior Wecsheler Pierre performed well in the Summer League after cutting his varsity teeth last fall and is being counted on to chip in offensively from an outside midfield position. “He’s fast and aggressive and is one of our bigger kids,” Palumbo said. Pierre will start on one side, while senior Bleda Cilinger and junior D.J. Hunter rotate on the other. Hunter, who has been slowed by injuries in the past, is also a candidate to slide up front and spark the offense. 

At forward, the coach is counting on junior Kyle Lindau to pick up where he left off last season when he found the net five times. “Kyle has a strong shot and can create his own chances in addition to banging in rebounds,” Palumbo said. “He’s tough and can push through defenders.”

Senior forward Khadeem Smikle, another with size, has good footwork and could be dangerous on corners.