Southampton Girls Soccer Eyes Another Opportunity At A County Title; Boys Welcome Back Dave Riley As Head Coach

The Southampton girls soccer program has built itself up from playing in its first-ever playoff game three years ago to becoming a perennial playoff team with a legitimate shot at winning its first-ever county title the past few seasons — and this season is no different.

The Mariner’s senior crop of players — which includes 11 players, eight of which are starters — are a big reason why the program has been so successful, but they want something to show for it: a county title.

The Mariners lost a tough 1-0 game at Center Moriches in the Suffolk County Class B semifinals this past April, and for those returning seniors who started the program’s most successful stretch, they want something to show for it. But head coach Sean Zay said prior to a practice last week that returning state semifinalist Babylon and Center Moriches certainly aren’t going to make things easy for his team.

“We were right there,” last season, Zay said. “Knowing we were right there, I know we can be right there this year.

“I told [the team], the county title has been our goal since day one, but I don’t see why we can’t go even further,” he continued. “When Babylon wins the county, they go far. They were up in the state semifinals last season, so if we can beat Babylon, we can beat anyone. All roads lead through Babylon. We got to get them. We beat Center Moriches and we beat Babylon last year, so last year could have been our year if things would have went differently. We know we can do it, we have to do it this year when it really matters.”

Leading the team this season are eight senior starters who Zay said are some of the most accomplished players in program history. Carli Cameron is a two-time All-State player, Charlotte Cardel is a two-time All-County player, Ellie Avallone was All-Division last season. And Zay feels that the rest of his senior starters —Gabriella Arnold, Hallie Beeker, Caroline Luss, Isabelle Palumbo and Taylor Zukosky — were all worthy of postseason awards last season as well.

Arnold, Beeker, Palumbo and junior Hailey Cameron are all returning to make up what should be a very formidable back line on defense. Freshmen Emma Vail and Leilani Escobar are both up from JV and will provide depth on defense. They’ll all be playing in front of a new starting goalie, junior Cece Ginsberg, who takes over for Kendra Jimenez, who graduated after last season. Jimenez and the starting defense had seven shutouts last season and Zay is very confident that Ginsberg can do the same along with the strong returning defenders.

Avallone, Cardel, Carli Cameron and Taylor Zukosky will continue to provide a lot of the offense for the Mariners, and freshman Vivienne Archer, who got a mid-season callup to varsity last season, and freshman Sophia Oliveri, a transfer from Hampton Bays, figure to help out on the offensive end as well.

Seniors Ellie Hattrick, Sophia Marano and Lily D’Italia, and juniors Juliette Archer, Melaney Lipiz, Amy Jimenez, Evely Farez, Jennifer Pulla and Cameron Willey round out the rest of the roster.

Girls soccer across Suffolk County has gone back to a power-ranked division system which it had been for the past few years before going to a league system in the pandemic-shortened season last spring. That means Southampton will be playing some of the larger teams from up-island, especially early on when it will play the likes of Comsewogue this Friday night at 7 p.m. and Half Hollow Hills West next Thursday, September 9, at 5 p.m.

More notably, Southampton won’t play a divisional game this season against either Babylon or Center Moriches — the Mariners do play a non-league at Center Moriches on October 9.

“It’s kind of annoying we don’t play any of the big time ‘B’ schools,” Zay said. “We start off the year playing some of the really big power teams in Section XI, but I’m excited about that. A lot of these girls have played for four or five years, they’re really, really good, a lot of them play on elite travel teams and they know those girls, [so] let’s see what we’ve got. I’d much rather have it where we play some of these really big schools and get ourselves ready for the playoffs than play an easy schedule, go undefeated. I’d much rather get the challenge.”

Dave Riley is back as head coach of the Southampton boys soccer team after Mike Valentine resigned from his teaching position within the school district in the offseason. Although he remained as a Spanish teacher within the district, Riley had retired from coaching after 20 years of doing so to focus on his family, which includes his wife and three children.

The program — one he basically built himself throughout the years into a powerhouse, continually clinching a playoff spot and vying for county titles year in and year out — was in a bind and needed someone to lead it, so when the district approached Riley about coming back in early August, just a few weeks before the start of the season, he opted to go all in. Tony Chernis, who assisted Valentine last season, will assist Riley.

“I wasn’t sure what I was getting into,” he said, with a laugh, “but the guys that have been coming out this week really impressed me with their grit and determination, work ethic, talent, and coachability as well.”

The Mariners did well in their year under Valentine, going 6-2 in League V to clinch another berth into the ‘B’ postseason where it lost to eventual county champion Babylon. After graduating a few key players after last season, including All-County player Griffin Schwartz, goal scorer Huriel Reyes, Chris Cozar, Josue Aguirre Paredes, Sebastian Barajas Ortiz, Ashton Triffit and Antwan Gutierrez, Riley said he puts his team behind both Babylon and Center Moriches to start the season with the thought that the returning players could definitely push those two teams for a county title.

Those players — many of whom played for Riley in 2019 — include sophomore Danny Bustamante, sophomore Eric Campohermoso, senior Adrian Gonzalez, senior Gavin Johnston, senior Patrick Matthews, senior Brandon Mendez, senior Armani Ray, sophomore Mason Stevens, sophomore Christopher Sullivan, senior Turner West, junior goalie Andy Panza and senior Johan Ramos. Senior Endrit Bedrolli was expected to be back this season but is currently rehabbing from offseason collarbone surgery and will miss extensive time to start.

Southampton will go back to League VII this season, where it had played for years pre-pandemic, with fellow ‘B’ teams Babylon, Center Moriches and Mattituck. It will also play against ‘C’ teams Greenport, Pierson/Bridgehampton, Port Jefferson and Southold, and ‘D’ school Smithtown Christian.

The Mariners start their season this Saturday, September 4, at Greenport at 10 a.m. and will host Pierson in their home opener next Thursday, September 9, at 6 p.m.