West Hempstead bound for soccer playoffs

Coming into the 2012 soccer season, West Hempstead head coach Chris Van Kovics knew if his team wanted to be successful in a solid Nassau Conference A-VII, the defensive unit would be the difference. He was right.

The Rams haven’t allowed more than two goals in any game and have posted six shutouts. With one regular-season game remaining, West Hempstead stood 7-4-1 overall, 6-4-1 in conference play, and clinched a trip to the Class A playoffs.

Van Kovics knows why the team is in position to make some noise in the postseason. “The defense has been very good all season long,” Van Kovics said. “We’ve been in every game right up until the end. You can’t ask for more than that. We have our core players, and then we have a group that comes off the bench to give us fresh legs.  We’ve been very good at marking the opponent’s top players.”

The back line has been led by sweeper Marco Flores and stopper Alex Martinez. Both are heady, hard-working players who have a knack for limiting the opponent’s scoring opportunities. Senior Kevin Macario and junior Ben Fernandez have also been standouts on defense. Senior Jose Jimenez, and juniors Woodie Cheu and Xavier Roberts round out the defensive rotation. 

When opponents have been able to penetrate, they’ve been stonewalled by senior goalkeeper Luis Polomo and sophomore Bobby Smith. Polomo had six saves in leading the Rams to a 2-1 win over Island Trees, handing the Bulldogs their only defeat through 11 games. Smith has been hot of late, too, registering back-to-back shutouts against Mineola and Roosevelt. He had eight saves in the win over Mineola.

While the Rams don’t typically light up the scoreboard, they’ve scored just enough to win. Ten different players have found the net. Senior Luis Escobar leads the team with five goals. Senior Alonso Maldonado and Sophomore Robert Grogan, a player who gives them versatility through his ability to play midfield or forward, each have three goals.