Newcomers to boost Molloy

Few bounces went Molloy’s way on the men’s soccer pitch a year ago, and the result wasn’t pretty. The Lions suffered eight shutouts, lost four times in OT and struggled to a 2-14-1 mark. However, an influx of newcomers and the return of 90 percent of last year’s offense have coach Danny Longo excited to turn the page.

“I’m still scratching my head to figure out what went wrong last year, but we’re moving on and have a pretty talented incoming class,” Longo said. “We brought in a lot of new players that’ll compete for starting jobs. 

“We have to be able to get the offense going,” he added. “Last year we lost four straight 1-0 games.”

While multiple-goal scorers Dan Brown, Mario Gagliano, Tyler De La Torre, Paul Ferrandino, Joey Pinto and Craig Calderone all return, Longo said he’s looking for newcomers Mathias Coni, Nyder Chardonnette and Anthony Costabile to provide the Lions with a shot of adrenaline. De La Torre, Ferrandino, Calderone and goalkeeper Michael Hunter are the only seniors on the roster, while Brown and Pinto were two of three players to suit up for all 17 games last fall.

“We’re looking for a positive start,” said Longo, who noted the team has dropped its last five openers.

Coni, a former standout at Oceanside High School, and Costabile, a former standout at Kellenberg, bolster the midfield, while Chardonnette, an All-State selection last year at Uniondale, boosts an offense that managed an average of just one goal per game in 2011.

Molloy’s defense, which yielded 31 goals a year ago, is to be led by junior Steven Reyes and sophomore Dane Leavy. In goal, Hunter has 28 career starts under his belt, and sophomore Justin Corke comes off a debut campaign that saw him post 60 saves and a 1.42 goals against average.

The Lions play four of their first five games on the road, including the Aug. 30 opener at New Haven.

Lady Lions must overcome adversity
The Lady Lions are always competitive in the East Coast Conference, finishing with at least four victories in each of the past five seasons including a 4-3-0 mark a year ago. But their offense and depth took hits during the spring when four players, including senior Nicole Valentine and promising sophomore Casey Filippone, were deemed out for the entire 2012 season.

“We’re going to compete every game, but depth is a concern,” Longo said. “Injuries are part of the game and we’ve just got to figure it out.”

Valentine, a First Team All-ACC selection last season who ranked second on the team in scoring with seven goals and four assists, suffered a concussion in last year’s ECC final loss to Dowling. “We’ll apply for a redshirt and hope she’ll be better next year, but we have to see how she feels,” Longo said. “Nicole’s tough to replace.”

Filippone had two goals and one assist in six games as a freshman before going down with a knee injury. She re-injured the knee this spring. Senior Jackie Harris and junior Jennifer Schmoll are also out for the year with knee injuries.

Molloy, which opens against Merrimack at the Dowling Tournament on Aug. 31, will miss the production of Valentine and Filippone but returns leading scorer Allison Sloper (12 goals, six assists), a junior and All-Region selection, and added speedy freshman Alicia Mercurio. Longo said he expects Sloper, a former transfer from Marist with speed and scoring ability, to be the focus of opposing defenses.

With a good amount of experience returning to the back row, Longo is moving standout defender Alyssa Faller to midfield. The senior First Team All-ACC choice has a tremendous skill set and 42 career starts. Junior Sami Saad slides to defense, where sophomores Anette Mims and Jacqui Valentine come off solid freshman years. Sophomore goalkeeper Nicole DellaPorta started 17 of 19 games and posted a 1.37 goals against average with two shutouts.