Defense sets tone for Lawrence

Lawrence boys’ soccer coach Patrick Leary doesn’t expect his team to sneak up on anyone after the undefeated regular season and conference championship it enjoyed in 2012, but the Golden Tornadoes figure to be contenders again behind a stingy defense and opportunistic offense.

“Last year we played very well defensively and also had firepower to strike quickly,” Leary said. “It was a great year. Nobody expects to go undefeated.

“We’re looking to be as strong as we were defensively,” he added. “We’re going to make every effort to keep the ball out of the net. Our mindset is to keep opponents at zero.”

Leading the defensive effort is senior David Ramirez, an honorable mention All-County sweeper with all the tools. “We can always trust him to communicate and organize the defense,” Leary said. “He’s aggressive, skilled, fit and tough. He’s an extension of me on the field.”

The back row also returns senior Widsom Ezihie, an All-Conference selection. He’s a versatile player who contributes to the offense when he sees an open field. Senior Ethan Kohan, who a year ago filled a void at goalkeeper following an injury to Kevin Cancinos and went on to earn All-Conference honors, is moving to stopper. “Ethan’s a good athlete and an experienced and tough soccer player,” Leary said. “We’ll probably use him to mark opponents’ top players.”

Cancinos, a junior, is back to 100 percent after missing the majority of last season with a wrist injury. He opened 2012 with back-to-back shutouts before getting hurt. “He looks ready and we’re looking for him to pick up where he left off,” Leary said.

The coach noted sophomore Haris Deljanin, a late-season JV call-up last fall, is capable of stepping right in and producing at fullback along with junior Chris Monzon.

Up front, the Golden Tornadoes are young but not without talent. Junior Francisco Quintanilla had some success last year in the midfield and knows how to put the ball in the net. “He looked great over the summer and is bigger and stronger than he was a year ago,” Leary said. “I feel like he’s going to score a bunch with a move to forward.” Also in the mix is sophomores Carlos Martinez and Josue Siguenza. Martinez got a taste of varsity soccer last season, while Siguenza had a nice year for the JV.

The midfield features senior All-County selection Daniel Reiskin, a creative distributor who can also score. “He’s a do-everything type of player,” Leary said. Seniors Allan Coronado and Geoffrey Martinez are stepping into bigger midfield roles.

“I’ve been fortunate to have another group of kids with a passion for soccer,” Leary said. “They love the game and they’re constantly working at it.”

Under Nassau’s new conference alignment, Lawrence will compete in A-II and face each of its 11 rivals once. “The playing field is fairly level throughout the county, and I like the idea of seeing more teams,” Leary said.