It was a good start to the season for the East Meadows boys soccer team, which opened with a 3-0 victory over Hempstead.
And then, the injuries came. Nothing particularly serious — a hip flexor here, a hyperextended knee and a quad injury there. That was followed by losses, a pair of 2-0 defeats to Plainview JFK and Westbury, followed by last Thursday’s 7-2 defeat at Herricks.
The message from Jets head coach Bryan Horrmann has been to keep a positive mindset despite the pain from the injury bug and the subsequent losses.
“It’s challenging because the kids are frustrated a little bit. But I feel like we need to taste a little more success,” Horrmann said. “We’re close to scoring, but just the balls aren't bouncing our way. Once we start to see balls bounce our way, go to the back of the net, get a little taste, I think these things will snap back into place the way they should.”
Those injuries to key players have forced Horrmann to go deeper into his bench than he usually does. And while that has meant a baptism of fire to some inexperienced players, it also will result in a team with more depth once the walking wounded return.
“It’s the next guy up trying to figure out who could play where at a position. We’re just trying to keep things afloat until they get back,” Horrmann said.
One of those players is Matt O’Leary, who is slowly making a return from an injury that forced him to miss the first game of the season. The senior defensive midfielder’s minutes are limited as he works his way back to full fitness, but Horrmann said O’Leary’s leadership as one of the Jets’ captains is a huge asset.
Senior Brayan Soto started the season as an outside back, but requested a move to the midfield due to the injuries and has flourished as a center attacking midfielder, scoring in the loss at Herricks.
Sophomore Michael Pokaliuk is a rising star who has done well as a defensive midfielder, but is dealing with a nagging injury.
“I think he controls the middle of the field very well,” Horrmann said. “He’s probably one of my better defenders. He shuts a lot of people down.”
Senior Kevin Cruz, who can play in the middle of the park or wide in the midfield, is also relied upon for his senior leadership. Eli Vasquez is a workhorse who runs for days and isn’t afraid to get stuck into tackles.
Junior TJ Snow, who can play as a striker or a defender, has scored two of East Meadow’s five goals so far, senior Jose Flores can also play on the front or back lines, and senior Colin Smith features as a No. 10 or on the outside left.
In a ‘AAA’ conference with tremendous parity, Horrmann knows his team is in the mix, but the clock is ticking.
“There’s only about 12 games left, so we’ve got to make a move,” Horrmann said. “Obviously, anyone can win on any given day. And it just takes a lucky bounce here and there. But it's just a matter of getting the right guys back, really pounding in the structure of what we need to do, getting practice in, keeping a positive mindset.”
