Thursday, October 1, 2026
Hewlett boys soccer has made the most of mixed results early and is gradually sharpening into a playoff contender in Nassau Class AA. Several players have already established themselves as key playmakers, but the Bulldogs are still working toward their final form.
“We lost a lot of key players last year, and we have a young team,” coach Jesse Corben said. “We have a couple of 10th graders that we pulled up, and we're not just pulling them up to practice with us. They're playing almost every minute of the games, so we're just trying to get them to adjust to the speed of the varsity game.”
In three games, Hewlett attained three vastly different results. The Bulldogs decisively took down local rival Lynbrook 6-2 in their season opener, went down by even more in a 5-0 defeat to South Side, and then wore down Malverne/East Rockaway for a 1-0 victory.
Hewlett’s leading scorer early on has been sophomore striker Dominic Pino-Masenko, who cashed in twice against Lynbrook and scored the decisive goal against Malverne/East Rockaway.
“He checks all the boxes,” Corben said. “He just has a good sense for finding the back of the net. He works really hard, and he's one of those 10th graders that we brought up that has made an immediate impact.”
Pino-Masenko is joined on offense by senior Alan Traktenberg, Hewlett’s leading scorer last year. Senior midfielder and captain Adam Chimounov provided key leadership in transition early on, with junior Jonathan Harosh and sophomore Osher Serussi filling in as needed.
Corben also said he expects junior Ido Zohar to return to the field soon, which could further bolster the Bulldogs’ midfield.
So far, Hewlett has had to lean on three different goalkeepers, a clear sign of early adjustments. Junior Daniel Galla was expected to be the starter but will have to miss time, leaving the role to Chase Rivas, who blanked Malverne/East Rockaway in his first start Sept. 9.
With both goalkeepers unavailable for the season opener Aug. 31, junior captain Ron Tamir filled in as an emergency option, proving a great deal of versatility in a runaway win.
Typically a defenseman, Tamir forms a stout back line with senior captain Natanel Bargig, a center-back capable of extending his duties beyond his side of the field. The passionate leader earned the lone assist to Pino-Masenko in the win over Malverne/East Rockaway.
“He just loves the game,” Corben said of Bargig. “He plays with so much passion, and you can see it in his face.”
Tamir and Bargig are joined on defense by sophomore James Becker, who has made “an immediate impact,” and senior Salim Kaptan. Junior midfielder Fernando Cantor Moran has proven to be a defensive asset as well, while senior Uriel Hillel has moved from the back line to left wing to contribute more on offense.
In the win over Lynbrook, Corben got the chance to show off some of Hewlett’s depth. Senior Ilay Ashtar and junior Nico Pantano both scored goals off the bench, while junior Christian Mentor earned two assists.
