Carey seeks deep playoff run

What a difference a year makes.

At this time in 2015, the Carey boys needed a victory in an outbracket game just to secure a Nassau Class A soccer playoff berth. This fall, the team has lost just one of 12 games and will be among the top eight seeds when the brackets are announced. The Seahawks will host a playoff game this Friday.

Carey’s 11-game unbeaten streak recently came to an end when visiting Bellmore-JFK scored three times in the second half to earn a 3-1 victory. Senior Nick Acquafredda, who leads the team with eight goals, scored the Seahawks only goal. Junior keeper Chris Moussavi had nine saves for Kennedy.

Carey, which enters the postseason with a record of 6-1-5, yielded just eight goals over its first 10 games. Its unbeaten string included six consecutive shutouts.

Carey head coach Matt Princi believes his team is prepared for the playoffs, but knows it has to step up its game if it wants to enjoy another long postseason run. “We can be our own worst enemy at times,” Princi said. “We seem to play down to the level of the competition we’re facing. That won’t work in the playoffs. We need to control the ball, and set the tempo of the game. We had a few injuries, but now everyone is healthy, and we’re pretty confident in our ability.”

Keeper Gianclaudio Arboleda is one of those players who returned to the lineup after being down with an injury. Arboleda, who registered four shutouts, had eight saves in an early-season 2-1 victory over conference-champion Jericho. It was Jericho’s only loss this season.

With Arboleda on the shelf, Princi reached down to his JV team and pulled up Ben Wettstein. The sophomore keeper didn’t disappoint, stepping in to earn a pair of shutouts in a tie with Sewanhaka and a victory over Manhasset.

Much of the credit for the shutouts goes to Carey’s defensive unit of seniors Carlos Llamosa and Adam Fields, and junior Vito Lombardo. Llamosa, who generally anchors the backline for the Seahawks, showed off his offensive prowess when he scored three goals in a 4-3 victory over New Hyde Park.

Princi is impressed with the development of Patrick Mehr. The junior center-midfielder has done a terrific job at distributing the ball. Mehr picked up three assists during the regular season.

One real positive for Carey is its ability to get multiple players involved in the offense. Nine Seahawks have found the back of the net. Junior Andrew Higgins has scored five goals, including both tallies in a 2-0 win when the team traveled to Garden City. Senior Vince Matozzo, who scored three times in a victory over Elmont, leads the team in points with 14.

Acquafredda, who earned All-County recognition as a junior, continues to be Carey’s go-to guy. He scored three times when the team shutout Manhasset 4-0 earlier in the month.