Mepham rolls into quarterfinals

From nearly 30 yards away from the goal, center midfielder Corey Lichtman shook off a defender and, seemingly in one motion, launched a massive left-footed strike. As the ball arced gracefully through the air towards the top right goalpost, the energetic crowd at Mepham High School held its collective breath.

So did Mepham boys’ soccer coach Zachary Gosse as he watched the ball drift over the outstretched arms of the lunging Manhasset keeper into the back of the net.

“It was the type of shot where if it didn’t go in, you’d tell the kid, he shouldn’t be shooting from that distance,” Gosse said. “It was like a wonder strike. The kids on the bench were all bowing to Corey.”

The second-half goal put Mepham up two scores, solidifying a first round playoff victory last Friday to propel the school into the Conference A quarterfinals, where they were to host Jericho, after Herald press time.

While Mepham, which handily won Conference A1 with an 8-1-1 record, was considered the heavy favorite against Manhasset, Gosse said his team was frustrated early by a stifling Manhasset defense that suffocated Mepham’s leading scorer, Andrew Weiner. “They got a little nervous in the beginning,” the coach said. “In the second half, the game opened up."

Gosse acknowledged that expectations are high for his squad after their successful regular season. After all, this is a team whose development has been three years in the making. Now in his third year as coach alongside assistants Anthony Costabile and Steve Fotinos, Gosse inherited a team full of mostly underclassmen. Two years later, Mepham now boasts 13 seniors, including Weiner, who scored a Nassau-leading 19 goals and who Gosse said will certainly be in consideration for the county's Player of the Year.

“I told them actually during preseason,” Gosse recalled. “This is the year. We’ve seen you guys develop now for three years. There is no tomorrow for the majority of the team. If you guys want to do something great, you have to do it now.”

At the moment, Jericho stands in the Pirates’ way towards greatness. With a 5-2-3 record this season in Conference A3, Jericho has defeated Mepham the two times they’ve faced during Gosse’s tenure. “It’s going to be a battle,” Gosse said. “But they’ll be up for it.”

The abundance of experienced seniors gives Mepham a spoil of riches. After Weiner, forward Connor Buehler and center midfielder Kieran Gilroy have the team’s second most goals with seven apiece. Harry Davila, also at center midfield, is among the team’s workhorses whose athletic agility helps him make highlight plays on a regular basis.

Their top defender, Chris Cossu – who has a team-leading 10 assists and scored the first goal in the playoff opener – fortifies the back line alongside his defensive partner Jon Gauffman, a smart defender who wins a lot of contested balls. Gosse also singled out Ziyad Gawish, a newly converted defender who sprints up- and downfield all game without revealing a trace of fatigue.

It’s the emergence of these seniors, Gosse said, that has him so excited of what his team is capable of. “Losing 13 guys is going to be a big blow," he said. "Right now, we’re totally focused on Jericho. This is it.”