West Hempstead seeks return to playoffs

West Hempstead comes off a season which saw just three victories, and ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to Sewanhaka in a Nassau Class A boys’ soccer play-in game. With 11 seniors on the roster, the Rams should be stronger in 2014, and could be in the mix for a playoff berth.

The road to the postseason won’t be an easy one. West Hempstead with compete in Conference ABC-III and battle with the likes of Friends Academy, Cold Spring Harbor, Wheatley, Island Trees, Oyster Bay, and Locust Valley.  

Once again, the Rams will play a defensive brand of soccer, and attempt to take advantage of the opportunities that opponents give them. Head coach Chris Van Kovics doesn’t expect many high-scoring matches. 

“Everything we do starts with defense,” Van Kovics said. “We want to limit the chances we give our opponents, and score when given the opportunity. Soccer is a game of failure. You move the ball up and down the field, and get very few chances to score. If we follow the blueprint and defend well, we should be in every game.”

West Hempstead has a pair of capable keepers in seniors Bobby Smith and Antonio Verderosa. Smith is the incumbent, but Van Kovics will go with the hot hand. Both manage the box well, are good with punts and throws, and do a nice job getting the offense started. 

Stopper/sweeper Jason Criollo, who started as a sophomore, is an intelligent defender who reads the game very well. Criollo and fellow junior Steven DiMarco form an excellent tandem on the backline. DiMarco is capable of playing all four positions on defense. 

Van Kovics would like to use six or seven players on the backline to ensure that fresh legs are on the pitch. Junior Jared Sills, and seniors Diego Cornelio and Tyler Intagliata are talented, versatile defenders. Sophomore Franklin Macario can play anywhere. He’s tough on the ball and marks well, Van Kovics said.

Senior captain Carmine Fuschetto is an outstanding defensive player who does a terrific job at marking. Fuschetto has strong soccer IQ and controls the middle of the pitch. Senior Carlos Palomo is a solid, offensive-minded midfielder.

Junior midfielder Dayquan Crawley is an extremely active player who kicks the ball well with both feet. Senior captain Robert Grogan is solid at both midfield and forward. Grogan and junior Fabricio Barbosa are natural scorers. Barbosa can take anybody one-on-one, and should wreak havoc on defenders.

Senior Brian Kissling and junior Chris Mistretta are a pair of forwards who can find the back of the net. Mistretta is smart with the ball and always seems to be in the right place. 

Van Kovics likes his team. “We have a good amount of dedicated soccer guys,” he said. “They’re very into it. We’re moving in the right direction as a program. If we put ourselves in position to do positive things, we should be fine.”

West Hempstead opened with a 3-1 win over Valley Stream North on Sept. 8.