East Hampton Boys Soccer Makes Jump to Class AA; Girls Will Stay Down a Division

The East Hampton boys soccer team has made itself into a perennial playoff contender year in and year out. This season is no different, but the team will have a new hurdle to overcome.

Due to statewide changes to enrollment numbers, including the addition of a AAA class, reserved for the largest schools in the state, East Hampton, for the first time ever, is now considered a AA school. The Bonackers will play in League VI this season with some familiar schools, though, in Comsewogue, East Islip, Eastport-South Manor, Hauppauge, Rocky Point and Westhampton Beach, most of which have also made the jump to AA.

The Bonackers will have to make that change after graduating some of its best players after suffering a tough 1-0 loss to Half Hollow Hills West in the county semifinals last season. Eric Armijos, an All-State and All-County player, is now playing at UMass-Lowell, and Michael Figueroa, an All-County player now at SUNY Potsdam, were both major losses. But head coach Don McGovern likes who he has returning.

Leading the group are senior All-Conference midfielder Brian Tacuri, senior All-League defender Kevin Hilario, junior All-League player Jonathon Armijos Calle, senior All-Conference midfielder Gary Gutama, senior midfielder John Bustamante and senior defender Chris Guallpa.

Senior forward Chris Chimbo, junior midfielder Ariel Garcia, junior forward/midfielder Juan Salcedo, sophomore goal keeper Adrian Arango and senior defender David Armijos are all expected to take on expanded roles this season.

East Hampton hosted Center Moriches in a nonleague game on Wednesday, and is scheduled to host Hauppauge in its first league game this Saturday, September 2, at noon.

“We aim to work hard every day to make each other better people and players,” McGovern said. “Our desire is to compete in practice each day to help each other get better. We hope to compete for championships. These goals remain consistent with what the program has sought to achieve each year. We have achieved it in the past, and we have come close at times. The margin of error is very slim so we have to be prepared for whatever adversity comes our way and turn that adversity into our opportunity.

“Ultimately, we hope to play together as long as possible, because we truly enjoy being with each other, which we hope is into November.”

Girls To Play
Down a Division

The East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton girls soccer team was expected to play in Division II this season based on enrollment numbers, but program officials petitioned Section XI to drop the program down to Division III. The county allowed it, making the team ineligible for playoffs this season.

“We believe that this will be beneficial to our team, allowing us to play more competitive games in Division III while our team rebuilds this year,” head coach Cara Nelson said. “We lost nine starters, and our goalie broke her ankle during tryouts. It’s going to be a learning process for the team this year, as we are young in age and experience.”

Included in those nine starters lost to graduation was the team’s entire back line, including center back and team MVP Jocelyn Prieto. Viviana Guerrero was the goalie Nelson was referring to who broke her ankle in tryouts.

Nelson said she’ll be looking to returning players, East Hampton senior Emily Quizphi, sophomore Hailey Benenaula and freshman Kaylee Munoz, to control the team’s midfield while senior Ashley Armijos and Pierson senior Stephanie Gordillo lead the defense. Nelson said she also brought up three eighth-graders whom she’s looking to build the program around, in Shayla Buestan, Elle Reidlinger and Gabriela Montes.

East Hampton played a nonleague game at home on Wednesday against Port Jefferson and will host Islip in its Division III opener on September 5 at 4:30 p.m.