Pieces in place for Lynbrook

The return of eight starters from last year’s team that finished 8-3-1 in conference play and hosted a Nassau Class A first-round playoff game, combined with a re-addition between the pipes, provides Lynbrook with a solid foundation on the boys’ soccer pitch.

The Owls, part of a newly aligned Conference A-II, split their first three games with a tie against Manhasset, a loss to Roslyn, and a victory over Valley Stream South. “We have a talented, and fairly deep senior-heavy group,” Lynbrook coach Josh Berlin said. “We let a couple of points get away against Manhasset, but we’ve raised our level of play since.

“We’re going to scrap for a playoff spot,” he added. “We have to be .500 or better, and to do that we need to beat the teams we’re expected to beat.”

In addition to the varsity experience Berlin has back in the fold, he said the Owls (3-1-1 overall) got a huge lift when goalkeeper Patrick Doody returned to the program for his senior campaign. Doody, who played in goal and in the field in 2011, is already making his presence felt by stopping shots and providing some unexpected offense. He scored — not once but twice — in a non-league win over Oyster Bay to open the campaign on Sept. 9. “Pat’s a businesslike keeper who helps defenders take their game to another level,” Berlin said of Doody, who made six stops in the opener for the shutout. “He’s aggressive and very technically sound.”

Senior sweeper Timur Ceylan, a three-year varsity player, is the last line of defense and someone Berlin said “gets to everything in the air.” The 6-foot-2 Ceylan is also the vocal leader in a back row that includes senior Brendan Tedaldi (one goal, three assists) at stopper and senior Zak Fellows at left fullback. Sophomore Matt McVeigh is developing into a reliable tracking defender, and junior Erik Vivar gained valuable varsity experience a year ago. Other contributors are seniors Anthony Rodriguez, Michael Vogt and Thomas Lavin, junior Nick Vivas, and sophomore Billy Lithen.