Freeport primed for playoff run

Freeport boys’ soccer is riding momentum heading into the playoffs.

The Red Devils completed the regular season at 4-2-2 last week and were expected to receive one of the better seeds for the Conference AA playoffs when pairings were announced after press time. Third-year coach Anthony May said strong team chemistry to focus on the field and with academics has sparked a memorable fall campaign.

“They are supporting each other all the way on the field and off the field,” said May, who organizes a team dinner every Friday that helps facilitate additional bonding. “These guys have really dug in.”

A 1-1 tie against Hempstead on Oct. 11 locked up second place in Conference AA1. Freeport closed the regular season with a 2-0 loss to Massapequa last Friday in which all 21 available Red Devil players received playing time.

Senior captain Richard Bastien has stepped up in his final days in a Freeport uniform with an All-County-caliber season featuring six goals including two in a 4-0 win at Plainview JFK on Sept. 27. Junior midfielder Jose Steven Flores is an additional offensive threat with seven tallies and recorded four points in the JFK victory. Junior Sabastian Arboleda and sophomore Randy Parada have also sparked the offense with some key assists.

“We’re getting contributions from everyone,” May said. “It’s nice to see the hard work paying off.”

Two capable goalkeepers in junior Henry Fernandez and sophomore Angel Flores aid the defense. Fernandez, who entered this fall off back-to-back All-Conference seasons, recorded six saves in the draw against Hempstead. Flores has shined in his first season as a varsity net-minder with several big performances including seven saves in a 2-1 victory at East Meadow on Oct. 4.

“They are unselfish guys,” May said of his two goalies. “They are team-oriented.”

Freeport’s lone loss prior to the regular season finale came at the hands of first place Uniondale, which was rated 11th in the New York State rankings last week. The Red Devils also went toe-to-toe with Uniondale in a 3-3 draw to open the season that featured two goals from Flores.

May said tying Uniondale shows that Freeport can compete with the top teams in Class AA and that a championship is not out of reach. Freeport reached the playoffs in May’s first year leading the program two years ago and fell to eventual semifinalist Syosset 2-0 in the opening round.

“It’s a wide-open league,” May said. “It is going to depend how we compete out of the gates physically.”

No matter how long Freeport’s postseason journey lasts, May said 2017 is already a successful season and that the program has strong momentum at its back with integral support lent by Athletic Director Jonathan Bloom. Bolstering Freeport’s future on the soccer pitch was an undefeated regular season achieved by the JV team. 

“It’s been a huge success,” said May, whose team went 4-7-1 in a rebuilding season last year. “It’s a big turnaround.”