Despite Move Up to Class A, Southampton Boys, Girls Are Going To Continue To Battle for Playoff Spots

If the Southampton boys soccer team is going to keep its years-long streak of making the postseason, it’s going to have to do so in a new class and league.

Statewide changes with enrollment numbers that led to a new AAA class created for the largest schools had a trickle down effect, leading to a number of schools being bumped up a class. Southampton, which had been a Class B school the past few years, is now a Class A school, and will play in League VIII. Some of the opposing schools in that league, such as Center Moriches and Hampton Bays, are very familiar to the Mariners, but the majority of the league is made up of teams they haven’t faced in some time. Powerhouse Elwood-John Glenn will play in the league along with Bayport-Blue Point, Mount Sinai and Shoreham-Wading River.

A few years back, due to higher enrollment numbers, Southampton had played a few seasons in Class A and made the playoffs one year, losing to Sayville in the opening round. And then one year the team didn’t make the playoffs, a rarity for the program for well over a decade now.

“We’ve been competitive in ‘A’ before,” head coach Dave Riley said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge. There is nothing and no one that we take lightly. We’re going to have to play some quality sides. We’re going to have to be ready, be consistent and develop the team throughout the season. You go down the list of teams in the league and they’re all good teams, but that’s exciting for our kids. They want to play at that higher level.”

Following a loss to Babylon in the county semifinals last season, the Mariners graduated quite a few players, including their pair of goalies in All-State and All-County Andy Panza and Riley Herrmann. Riley said it was certainly a luxury having both last season, when he could comfortably start either one in goal and play the other in the field.

While it will be tough to replace them, Riley said the team did have five goalies try out for the team and that who will becoming the starter was still up in the air at the moment. Riley said Thayer Schwartz and Yostinfer Sandoval Vasquez were pretty big losses to graduation as well.

Southampton still has a solid core intact, led by four-year varsity player and center back Mason Stevens. Nick Gonzalez is entering his third year on varsity, and will be relied upon on the offensive side of the ball having scored 30 goals between his freshman and sophomore years. Senior Dany Bustamante is entering his fourth year on varsity, as well, and fellow senior midfielder Eric Campohermoso and senior defender Edgar Avendano are also returning. Senior midfielder Jaybe Succucanda, senior defender Jose Dominguez and junior midfielder Edgar Diaz-Leal are returning as well.

Riley said he’s excited about three freshmen midfielders who are joining the team this season in Leo Garcia, James Garvin and Max Mobius.

Southampton opens the season Thursday, August 31, in a nonleague game at Half Hollow Hills West at 10 a.m., and will open the league season at home against Glenn this Saturday, September 2, at 10 a.m.

“Our expectations are always to make the playoffs at this point,” Riley said. “We’re going step by step, and Thursday will be a good tuneup for us. Hills West is a bit of a powerhouse coming off reaching the county final against Amityville, and they’ll give us a good test early.”

Despite Injuries

Girls Want To See Playoffs

An early season-ending injury to Hailey Cameron last season kind of set the stage for the Southampton girls soccer team. Head coach Sean Zay thought his team could still make the playoffs without one of his best players, but after a couple of additional injuries, the season took a turn. Zay decided to call up a few of his young promising players, and while the team missed the playoffs, those players got some vital playing time up on varsity.

Eerily similar to last year, Leilani Escobar injured herself and will miss significant time, and while that is a similar loss to Cameron, Zay is hoping the infusion of more younger players will help similarly to last season.

“Our freshman class is very, very good. Still, I’ll be keeping some kids on JV so if we happen to drop down to a B school, they’ll continue to learn,” Zay said. “Can we make that jump to Class A and still make the playoffs? I think so. We have no seniors at all. It’s still a young team, so they’re still learning. We’ve never made playoffs as an ‘A’ school, and so that’s our goal. If we can get there a year early, that’ll be a big step for next year.”

Vivienne Archer, who earned All-Division honors in her first full year on varsity, is returning this season as a captain along with fellow junior co-captain Emma Vail. Archer will roam the midfield, while Vail will lead the defense.

Both Sofia Oliveri and Jillian Swiatocha, juniors, are turning from injuries last season and expected to prove some offense as forwards. Jaylin Maloney stepped up last season and Zay is excited to see how much she can continue to improve this season. Zay is also excited about junior goalie Ella Liebnitzky, who plays a ton of travel soccer and is stepping into the starting role this season.

Southampton lost its first game of the season, a 3-0 nonleague decision at home to Rocky Point on Monday. It played another nonleague game at home on Wednesday evening against Riverhead before opening up the league schedule on September 5, again at home, at 6 p.m., against Shoreham-Wading River.

“We’ll probably take our lumps against some of the top teams, but if we can get in the top eight — we were ranked 12th — we could make the playoffs,” Zay said. “It’ll be hard to do, but if we stay healthy we can give that a go.”