Pirates aiming for playoffs

A 2-1 loss to first place Elmont last Monday may have damaged Mepham’s hopes of claiming the regular-season crown in Conference AA-III boys’ soccer, but with five games left, the Pirates (5-5 overall, 5-4 Conference AA-III) still have plenty of time to jockey for playoff positioning.

“We need to continue to get better and trust each other more and more,” Mepham coach James Koester said. “If we hit our best stride going into the playoffs, then I’d be fine with that.”

Sophomore Harrison Dorcilien, one of the more versatile Pirates who’s lined up at stopper, midfield and forward, opened the scoring with his third goal of the season in the first half, but the Spartans Benji Alonge knotted the game before intermission and broke the tie on a free kick with just under 20 minutes to play. “We played well but the one guy we talked about that could hurt us scored both goals,” Koester said. “We didn’t really carry out our plan.”

The loss dropped Mepham five points back of Elmont and battling with Carey, Herricks and Great Neck South. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the Nassau Class AA playoffs. “We could have easily scored twice before Elmont scored its first goal,” Koester said. “We’re just missing [opportunities]. We have to figure out a way to play a full game and get the early chances to go in the back of the net.”

Prior to the loss to Elmont, the Pirates knocked off Herricks, 3-1, Oct. 5 behind a pair of scores from senior Fermin Sorto and a third from junior Dante Ippolito. Junior forward Harly Hosty and senior William Dudley each had assists, while senior goalkeeper Steve Fotinos had eight saves. A position switch before the game elevated Soto to the midfield and moved senior Stephen Polimeni to the defense as part of a flat-back scheme, that judging by the results, was an instant success.