Promising start for Baldwin

It can be tough for a coach to gauge a team based on a few preseason practices or maybe a scrimmage or two. But as far as Baldwin’s boys’ soccer team is concerned, things have easily gotten off on the right foot.

A season after injuries decimated the program and it finished just outside the playoff race for just the third time in coach Mike Palumbo’s 12 seasons, the Bruins (0-0-1 overall) not only pulled away from Freeport in an early September scrimmage, winning 3-1, they battled to a 1-1 tie with South Side, a perennial Class A title contender, in a non-conference opening battle on Sept. 5.

“This year we’re very happy with what we’re seeing,” Palumbo said. “We don’t see any egos and everyone’s playing hard.”

Despite falling behind the Cyclones in the second half, the Bruins battled back with speed playing a major role in sophomore Tyrese White’s game-tying goal. Freshman midfielder John Gamble, a first-year varsity player, put pressure on a South Side defender, who made a bad clearing pass that ultimately landed at the feet of White, who took the ball and scored with 15 minutes remaining. 

Senior goalkeeper Jake Sable, now in his second season as the starter, stopped five shots with the defense in front of him limiting congestion in the box and steering away many of South Side’s scoring opportunities. “The team worked hard to keep shots away from the net,” Palumbo said, noting that an early collision between a hard-charging Sable and Cyclones player on a loose ball scramble, may have set the physical tone. 

The Bruins have scrapped their traditional formation in favor of a 4-3-2-1 scheme that gives the defense strength in numbers. Senior Christian Cummings slides to outside back after playing last season at midfield with junior Jack Thibault his bookend. Junior Carlos Padilla, an All-Conference honoree, returns in the middle of the backline along with senior Brandon Clerge, a big, physical presence at six-feet who also has speed to chase down the ball. Senior Dan Cabrera is also part of the mix on the outside.

“The formation is more of a defensive layout,” Palumbo said. “When we’re dropping back we have almost nine guys in the box.”

Seniors Jason Gruber and Jeremy Hui, both two-year starters and three-year varsity players, have the ability to roam at defensive midfield, and their knowledge of spacing and positioning is a perfect fit for the role. The three offensive midfielders, critical to the scoring success, are juniors Erik Boci and Isaiah Welsh, the latter a returning All-Conference honoree, and Gamble.

The new alignment calls for just one forward, and that’s senior Klyde Jacques, though he’s going to get plenty of help in the offensive zone not only from the midfield but also the speedy outside backs who have the freedom to make rushes upfield.

The Conference AA-II schedule, which kicked off last week, includes battles with some of the top teams in Nassau County, including Hicksville, a favorite as a title contender, and Plainview JFK. “The schedule is tremendous,” Palumbo said. “It’s not a walk in the park, it’s tough.”