Thursday, October 1, 2026
After sneaking into the playoffs in 2025, Valley Stream South boys soccer is clear-eyed and focused on improving again in Nassau Class A.
Coach Pete Mastroda said the Falcons have the potential to make a deep run, perhaps with less travel.
“Last year, we took an hour bus ride to Locust Valley,” Mastroda said. “We were happy to be in the playoffs, but I think the consensus of the team was, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a home playoff game?’”
If Valley Stream South is to achieve its new goal of hosting a playoff game, junior forward Luke Huczko will almost certainly be a deciding factor in getting there. In the Falcons’ first three games, their plan of working through the talented striker has worked to varying degrees.
Mastroda described Huczko as Valley Stream South’s “go-to guy,” a highly skilled attacker who is regularly tasked with finishing on scoring opportunities. In the season opener against West Hempstead on Sept. 2, he scored all four goals in a dominant 4-1 victory.
“We’ve been playing with Luke as our lone striker up top,” Mastroda said. “The name of the game is trying to drive that ball outside to the middle and right up to Luke. It certainly worked against West Hempstead.”
Their next two opponents were quicker to catch on to the Falcons’ 4-2-3-1 formation, however. With an intense focus on Huczko, Valley Stream South adjusted well to grind out a 2-2 tie against North Shore, but they were missing multiple starters against Wantagh and could not make up the difference.
Mastroda said depth could be an issue in what should be another grueling campaign, but the pieces in the starting rotation are strong enough to handle anyone. Beyond Huczko, senior wingbacks Corell Chance and Johnathan Gomez have done excellent work moving and distributing on the outside.
“Those guys are track guys, and man, they fly,” Mastroda said. “Those guys get up and down the sidelines real fast, and they become offensive threats as well.”
Chance also serves as an unofficial leader and has proven himself on and off the field for the Falcons.
“He's not the biggest guy on our team, but he plays like it,” Mastroda said. “If he's five-foot-five, he plays like he’s six-foot-five.”
Valley Stream South also boasts experience at midfield with seniors Leo Garces and Javoni Dixon, the latter of whom is back after working through an injury. Sophomore Jacob Leo has also quickly found playing time.
Mastroda described junior Didier Perez as the “heart of the defense,” working alongside fellow junior center-back Robert Basile. The dynamic defensemen are a great help to goalkeeper Kevin Gebauer, who has provided early stability after missing most of the 2025 campaign.
“What a difference from last season,” Mastroda said. “Kevin was our goalkeeper last season and we lost him right away. So we were throwing anybody in the pool, basically after the first couple games last season. But he's back and he's strong and healthy.”
Huczko might not be able to carry Valley Stream South to every victory, but with a clear star out in front and a stellar cast working around him, the Falcons are clearly poised to make some noise at full strength down the line.
