LAKE HUNTINGTON –– In the process of watching games, noting scores and the all-too-concentrated focus on who won or lost, one crucial thing is overlooked. Playing sports is about learning, not just the logistics of the game, but about lessons in life that will endure years after athletes’ playing days are over. 

For the 2022 Sullivan West boys soccer team, learning is the preeminent goal this season as the team features a total of 11 very young players including four freshmen and seven sophomores out of a roster of 19 Bulldogs. With only three seniors in the fold including standout keeper Will Nearing along with Michael Schroeder and Nate Mendoza, Coaches Kristina Verrico and her savvy assistant Scott Scardino will look to the seniors and five juniors to mentor the younger players. 

Graduation in June marked the exit of a strong nexus of the team including Henri Marin, Dominic Perez, Dylan Sager, Tarig Gambari, Anthony Waite, Mark Zabubara and Danny Shami. That represented a lot of experience that went out the door. That said, high school sports teams always reckon with the turnover of players from year to year and the mission is always the same. Those veterans that remain, demonstrate by example what it takes to compete by evincing their skills and their demeanor. Having a keeper like Nearing is invaluable. It goes without saying he will be very busy in the net this season, particularly as the midfielders learn to better control the flow of the game. 

Though the score at the end of the game reflects the final outcome, it is in the midfield and the vying for those 50-50 balls that the scales are tipped one way or the other.

As coach Scardino notes, “The varsity boys soccer team this year is a fairly young team. Will Nearing and Michael Schroeder are our team captains and have been doing a great job of showing leadership on and off the field. This season we are looking forward to seeing our younger players develop their skills while watching our seniors shine. Nearing has been taking one of our freshmen under his wing as he schools him as the backup goalie. Though we are young, our hope this season is to make sectionals and as long as we stay healthy, we have a good chance to do that this season.” 

Sullivan West scrimmaged Monticello and Fallsburg in a double round robin tournament on Wednesday before the Van Etten Tournament. The Bulldogs came up short against both teams scoring a lone goal by Aoleces Jimenezon, a penalty kick against Monticello. 

Sullivan West starts its season on the road in the Downsville Tournament on September 8. Filling out the roster this year are freshmen Kaiden DeGraw, Hunter Ebeling, Aiden Scardino and Tyler Stevenson. Sophomores include Landen Boyd, Sebastian Brothers, John Dworetsky, Sean Gabel, Ethan Hoch, Jared Kratz and Charlie Kutschera. Juniors feature Brodey Herbert, Aoleces Jimenez, Austin Nystrom, Nic Perez and Alec Ward.