Defense leads youth-filled Uniondale

A British import, Kevin Daly won the NCAA men’s soccer championship in 1996 as a St. John’s defender. 

There’ll be no trophies in 2023 for the Uniondale girls’ soccer team Daly founded 20 years ago. But just wait a year. Or two. 

Half the roster is freshman and sophomores, yet Uniondale still is competitive at 3-4.

 “We’re not winning any championships this year,’’ Daly said. “We’re hoping to build a team for the future with a lot of 9th and 10th graders. We’re looking at next year and after that when they are juniors and seniors.’’

Senior Valeria Pivaral, a star midfielder, wants to win now. Pivaral, who may play soccer at Farmingdale College, has played all four years. One of two seniors, Pivaral feels this is the best Uniondale’s team she’s been on. Last season, the Knights finished .500. 

“The level has gotten better than other years,’’ said Pivaral, who moved from Guatemala five years ago. Pivaral says Uniondale’s best victory was the season opener, 2-0, over Hempstead. “A lot of new girls and we didn’t know each other a lot, but still communicated,’’ Pivaral said. “Everyone didn’t give up. I was proud of the team.’’ 

Pivaral, who didn’t speak English when she arrived on Long Island, is the energizer as center midfielder. “She’s the engine of the team and doesn’t stop running,’’ Daly said. “She’s tough, aggressive - our best player.’’

Daly has instilled a defense-first, British style on a squad composed of several players whose heritage is Central/South America. 

“I play quite a defensive game,’’ Daly said. “I was a defender and built the team around that. We do quite well there.’’

Last weekend, Daly lost communication with his players when his cell phone got damaged in the flood. Ironically, Daly’s thick English accent and British expressions – he uses the word “quite’’ in almost every sentence - occasionally befuddles his players.

 “We both have heavy accents but we understand each other,’’ Pivaral said. “If we don’t, I ask him again or he asks me. The girls sometimes are like: “What did the coach say?” 

Defense is the common language. Junior Kimberly Calderon has been the Knights’ top defender at center back. “She’s our last defender -  quick and reads the game well,’’ Daly said.

The left back is left-footed Sheyla Gomez. ““She gets good distance with her kicks and is very mature,’’ Daly said.

Up front, Karla Martinez is their most “skillful’’ player, the coach says. Their leading scorer notched goals in each of the last two games – against Westbury and Sewanhaka.

“She’s quite creative can go past players in 1 on 1 situations,’’ Daly said. “We’ve tried to get her isolated to use her speed.’’

Also boosting the offense is junior captain Angie Jaime. “She has a good turn of pace,’’ Daly said. 

While a freshman has emerged in goal in Ashley Bonilla, the biggest young surprise is the aggression of 8th-grader Isabella Portillo, up from middle school. She’s started most games at right defensive back. “She’s starting to make that position her own,’’ Daly said. 

The prevailing characteristic is “a never-say-die attitude,’’ says Daly. “We’re quite a young team that progressively will get better across the season,’’ he said.