Hewlett off to strong start

In search of its fourth conference title in five years, Hewlett got off to a promising start against Conference V-A boys’ soccer rivals with two victories and a tie in its first three games.

“We’ve got a well-rounded team with some depth,” coach Nick Lacetera said after the Bulldogs knocked off visiting Glen Cove, 2-1, on Sept. 19. “A lot of the kids play on the same club [team], which adds to the chemistry. I like what we’ve done so far,” he added.

Junior Myles Ofri got Hewlett on the board a few minutes in when he headed in a long throw-in by junior Spencer Feuer. It looked like an instant replay of a goal the two orchestrated in a 1-0 win over Plainedge in the conference opener a week earlier.

“Spencer’s throw-in is a major weapon,” Lacetera said of the stopper’s ability to simulate a corner kick with his arms. “He gets the ball in the box and creates instant opportunities for us to score.”

Ofri, an outside midfielder with speed and hustle, set up the Bulldogs second goal at the 9:00 mark when he sent a through ball to senior forward Luis Campos for a breakaway. Campos was alone against Glen Cove goalkeeper Angad Sodhi and cashed in for the eventual game-winning score. “Luis has phenomenal foot skills,” Lacetera said. “He just out-hustled and out-maneuvered the defender to get to the ball first, and when he gets a chance like that he doesn’t miss much.”

Campos, who led Hewlett in goals last season, is paired up front with junior Kelvin Larios. “I’ve yet to see a kid of Luis’ size shed opponents like he does,” Lacetera said. “He’s got a magical left foot, too.” Larios scored the equalizer in a 2-2 draw with Division on Sept. 13. “Kelvin’s a workhorse,” he noted. “He likes to run and gun and creates a lot of opportunities. It’s tough to keep him down for long.”

Most of the team’s experience is at forward and midfield. Seniors Matt Isaac and Julian Benitez are returning starters at center-midfield, with Isaac serving as an offensive distributor and Benitez as a relentless defensive presence. Lacertera said Isaac “is strong in the air and sees the field well.” Juniors Chris Bravo and Andrew Regen-Tuero work the outside opposite Ofri.

The defense is off to a fine start, Lacetera said. There’s no shortage of toughness with Feuer and senior Jimmy Anderson in the middle. “They do whatever it takes to get the job done,” Lacetera said. Anderson moved to sweeper after playing fullback a year ago. The starting fullback spots belong to senior Cesar Florez and junior Joe Tansey.

Senior Ronie Morales started each of the first three games in goal, but junior Zachary Metz could contribute. “They both have great reflexes and are fun to watch,” Lacetera said. “Ron has a slight nod in experience and has played well.”

Opponents remaining on the first half of the conference schedule are Sewanhaka, Bethpage and Great Neck North.