VSN seeks playoff berth

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After a three-year postseason hiatus, Valley Stream North’s boys’ soccer team shows signs that a playoff berth may be in the making.

The Spartans (3-3-1) have already matched their win total from last season’s 3-10-2 squad, opening with a pair of victories, 3-0 at Division on Sept. 6 and 2-1 against Roosevelt two days later. 

Jasler Santos scored twice and fellow junior Josue Sanchez netted another goal at Division, while senior midfield Anthony Franco scored both goals, including a penalty shot with 30 ticks left on the clock, against Roosevelt.

“Anthony is a defensive style player, but he can push up and score,” said VSN coach Dave Aguado, who praises Franco’s ability to guard the best player on opposing teams and win balls in the air.

Another other top player is senior Tcharly Verna, who leads the team with four goals. The striker scored both goals in a 2-1 win at Roslyn on Sept. 15, notched a free kick in a 3-1 loss against Hewlett on Sept. 18, and netted another shot in a 3-2 loss at Cold Spring Harbor on Sept. 23. 

“He’s got to get double-teamed every single game,” Aguado said of Verna. “He’s very strong with the ball, has excellent vision and is a great finisher.”

Goalkeeper James Perciballi set the tone with a four-save shutout in the opener. The senior made six saves in a 2-2 tie against Glen Cove on Sept. 13 and five saves in 4-2 loss at Floral Park on Sept. 11. Perciballi shares time in the net with sophomore Ryan Foley, who had three saves against both Roosevelt and Hewlett.

“We’re fortunate to have two pretty solid guys who could probably start on most teams in the county,” Aguado said of his goalies. “They both make very good decisions and are good in the air.” 

Their defensive front includes senior Brandon James, a standout outside back who played a key role in frustrating opposing offenses in the Roslyn and Division games, as did Thao Nguyen, a junior sweeper, who helped stem Roslyn’s relentless second-half attack. 

“Brandon has shut down some pretty good players, and Theo has been very solid back there, cleaning up everything that comes his way,” Aguado said. “Definitely a team leader as a junior.” 

Other promising players are Sanchez and sophomore Tyler Talbert, an undersized midfielder who has smarts and considerable ball skills and added a goal against both Glen Cove and Cold Spring Harbor. Both players are adept at creating scoring and other opportunities for their teammates, Aguado noted.  

VSN will need those opportunities to continue as it heads down the stretch. This week the Spartans were scheduled to play Conference A2 rival Lawrence (5-0) on Tuesday, after press time, and next week they’ll face other top conference opponents in Plainedge (6-0) on Oct. 3 and Wantagh (4-3-0) on Oct. 5. 

“If we want to be in the playoffs, we’re going to have to play with those types of teams,” Aguado said. “So we have to come out and play strong and hopefully earn some points there, or else we’re not going to the playoffs.”