VSN hits early bumps in road

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Aiming to end a four-years-running absence from the playoffs, the Valley Stream North boys’ soccer team is still working out kinks through the early weeks of Nassau Conference A-5 action. Despite matching their season high in offense, with a 3-2 loss to Plainedge last Saturday, the Spartans fell to 0-2-1 in A-5, 0-3-1 overall.

Eleventh-year Spartans coach Dave Aguado, whose team opened conference play with a 5-0 loss to Lawrence and a 1-1 tie with Wantagh, feels a breakout may be looming, and is only a matter of some lineup tweaks and a bit more follow-through on offense.

“We’ve had a tough start to our schedule,” Aguado said. “A team like Lawrence is just phenomenal. But I was proud of how we came back the next week to get the tie. Our main issue is finishing. We’ve got scorers; we just need to capitalize.”

Amid the Spartans’ rough early going, VSN’s brightest star undoubtedly has been goalkeeper Paul Parra, a first-year starting junior who through four games is second in Nassau with 34 saves. While quick to applaud his goalie’s achievement, Aguado hastened to observe its double-edged implication. “It means we’re allowing lots of shots on goal,” Aguado said. “But Paul Parra has stepped in nicely after mostly sitting on the bench last year. He really learned a lot.”

Still silent on the season but expected to lead the Spartans offensively is second-year starting senior Josue Sanchez, an outside attacking midfielder designated as VSN’s go-to playmaker. “Josue is a crafty player,” Aguado said. “He’s got a great shot. We’re going to rely on him to score.”

Senior co-captain Eddie Ye is a returning starter at fullback, along with junior Brian Munoz, while junior Alejandro Salazar – VSN's point leader with a goal and an assist – starts at stopper. “Eddie Ye has been a contributor for three years and can play any position,” Aguado said. “Brian Munoz is our guy that we have mark the other team’s best player. Alejandro is great at winning balls, and even though he’s way back at stopper, he’ll serve some balls all the way into the box for our offense.”

Senior Thao Nguyen – a Spartans co-captain – starts a second year at sweeper, with senior Josh Tabb becoming a first-year starter at center midfield. “Thao is a solid leader,” Aguado said. “He’s really a forward but right now he’s helping us in the back. Josh is great at winning fifty-fifties and is another guy who can play anywhere.”

The Spartans benefit from close chemistry out front with brothers Kevin Alvarado, a sophomore, and Byron Alvarado, a freshman who scored against Plainedge, often starting together as forwards, with Wilmer Jimenez, a senior forward, getting turns in the first-string rotation.

“It's a young group but there's some talent,” said Aguado, who vouched for his squad as a playoff contender. “It's going to be a battle for sure. But this is a team-first group, always pulling for each other. They're always trying to figure out ways to be successful.”