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Overcast Molloy soccer ready to roar
Danny Longo will be a busy man again this fall serving as head coach for the Molloy men’s and women’s soccer teams. Each club is aiming to finish on the positive side of .500 after falling short in 2009, but they’ll have to navigate through challenging schedules.
Newcomers bolster Lions
A year after capturing the East Coast Conference (ECC) title and reaching the NCAA quarterfinals, Molloy’s men’s team went a disappointing 7-8-1 despite playing well down the stretch.
“Last year was disappointing in terms of record,” Longo said. “We’ve talked about four games we let get away. We just couldn’t find a way to win the close ones.”
The Lions lost a few key players, including top scorer Jose Batista, but most of last year’s starters return, led by junior Anthony Morais, senior Mike Adamcewicz and sophomore Tyler De La Torre.
Longo considers Morais, a three-year starter, to be one of the top defenders in the ECC. “He’s tenacious and fast, and has all the tools,” Longo said. Sophomore Paul Ferrandino, a Valley Stream Central product, moves from midfield to join Morais in the back row. The midfield features De La Torre, who starred at Valley Stream South, freshman Dan Brown and Mike LoManto, a transfer from C.W. Post.
In addition to LoManto, Longo is excited about talented newcomers John Alberda, a transfer from Hofstra and high school teammate of Adamcewicz at Commack, and freshman goalkeeper Justin Corke, a high school teammate of De La Torre expected to challenge sophomore Mike Hunter, who attended Calhoun, for the starting job. Hunter stepped up when called upon last fall.
The pairing of Alberda and Adamcewicz up front should help the Lions find the net with greater consistency. “I expect those two guys to give headaches to other teams,” Longo said.
The ECC does not have an automatic bid into the NCAAs, so the Lions have their work cut out. Longo scheduled a difficult schedule out of the gate with trips to eighth-ranked Southern New Hampshire on Sept. 2 and No. 16 Franklin Pierce two days later.
