Resiliency is Baldwin's calling card

After a slow start to Baldwin’s boys soccer 2024 season, the only chance the Bruins had at punching their ticket to the postseason was by winning four out of their last five games. Not only did they pull off this improbable task, but they scored with 13 seconds to go in the regular-season finale, clinching a play-in game.
Including playoffs, they finished 6-6-4 and earned themselves a 1-0 play-in victory over Roosevelt. Their Cinderella story ended after a 2-0 loss to No. 6 seed South Side. It was a difficult year with injuries, but this summer has shown coach Chris Soupios that his team has bought in as they make the switch from Class AA back to AAA.
“I think AAA is by far the most competitive conference in all of Nassau soccer,” Soupios said. “You’re looking at 14 teams in a division where probably every coach you could talk to would say they feel they have a chance of playoffs. There’s no easy game. Our goal is to make playoffs and anything can happen. We feel that if we make playoffs, we can compete with anyone in the conference and then you have a chance to win a county championship.”
Soupios doesn’t view his team as a one-man wrecking crew. His team will play together as one – whether that’s win as a team or lose as a team, the Bruins will do it together.
The returning starters are senior All-County center defensive midfielder Matthew Alexandere, All-County honorable mention and senior striker Devonte Young, and All-County honorable mention senior center midfielder Erick Ramos.

Other starters include senior center back Joshua Cantre, senior center back Oscar Garcia, junior defenseman Max Ascencio-Cueva, senior midfielder Raul Lovos, senior central midfielder Allan Parades. A Swiss Army knife that filled in for multiple injuries a season ago is junior wingback Antonio Lopez-Aguilar.
When it comes to the schematic part of their game, Soupios plans to trot out multiple formations.
“Our formation really does vary, but you could say that we play in a sense of standard 4-3-3,” Soupis said. “It gives you numbers up high. It creates space for our midfielders to be able to get the ball and to send those extra attacking outside backs for a number of mismatches on the outside.”
Even though last season ended after an improbable run, Soupios believes the Bruins can learn and build upon that experience.
“It shows that you never give up and that’s one of the more important things, but also the idea of coming together as a team,” Soupios said. “Building on that family-like atmosphere. Getting that last second goal last year, guys could have given up but people pushed through to the very end and that’s what created that moment for them. Once you’ve seen that can happen, you believe in it again. These guys know that you can create that magic.”
Four of Baldwin’s first five Conference AAA games are on the road and the run culminates this Saturday with a 6 p.m. start at Oceanside.