Lawrence soccer could be ‘pretty special’

Due to technical difficulties, lightening postponing one game and another game not played to due an opposing coach being hospitalized, the Lawrence boys’ soccer team season has gotten off to a stuttering start as after playing three non-league contests and going 2-1, the Golden Tornadoes finally began playing league games last weekend.

Lawrence split its first two Conference A2 games with a 3-2 loss to Division last Saturday and a 4-2 win over Lynbrook on Monday.

Prior to the league season getting underway, head coach Patrick Leary said this year’s squad could be “pretty special” even after losing more than 30 goals of offense due to graduation of players such as Francisco Quintanilla and Franklin Hernandez “We have a great group of guys, great chemistry and they are hungry and anxious to play,” Leary said. 

At the top of the roster of those “great guys” are midfielder Josue Siguenza (two assists in victory over Lynbrook) and forward Carlos Monzone (two goals in the Lynbrook game), both seniors, who Leary said will split time between midfield and forward “depending on what we need” the coach said. “Those are the guys that other teams will have to look out for,” Leary said. “They have the ability to set the other guys up.”

Both have a feel for the game, their coach said, and like basketball players always competing in pickup games, Siguenza and Monzone, All-County honorable mentions last season, play soccer outside of the school team  and are “very familiar with the way each other play and have an innate sense of where they are supposed to be,” Leary said. “They are very unselfish, help tremendously and play the right way.” 

Also contributing on offense will be senior Edwin Hernandez. “All our seniors are mature, competitive and have leadership skills,” the coach said.