East Meadow controls playoff destiny
The task seems simple for the East Meadow boys’ soccer team, win or tie either of the last two games to return to the playoffs. The problem is those games are against the top two teams in the conference.
The defending AAA county champs (6-6-1, 6-5-1 Conference AA1) are 3-1-1 in their last five games to position itself for one of the final playoff spots. The three teams ahead of the Jets in the standings have already punched their postseason tickets, including first-place Jericho and second-place Valley Stream Central, whom they face this week to end the regular season.
The Jets allowed both goals in the opening 10:34 of a 2-0 defeat at Central on Sept. 20 and trailed 4-1 at halftime before falling 5-1 at Jericho four days later. East Meadow hosted Central on Tuesday and will entertain Jericho in the finale on Thursday.
“We have to limit the amount of mistakes that we make,” coach Brian Horrmann said. “We have to trust our players on the field and then play as a unit.”
Red-hot senior Dylan Wauchope helped the Jets get back on track by scoring six times in the next three games. He netted all three goals in a shutout win over Great Neck South on Sept. 26, added another in a 5-1 triumph the next day at MacArthur before collecting two more in a 4-3 victory over Mepham 4-3 on Oct. 1.
The surge gives him 14 goals and 20 points this season, including a stretch of eight tallies in five games last month. He scored eight times in 2023.
“He was a stud last year,” Horrmann said. “Now, he’s utilizing both feet, his left and right. He’s a little bit of a roamer, so it gives him the freedom of creativity. He’s all over the field where he sees fit.”
A 1-0 loss to Baldwin on Oct. 7 halted the run and the Jets trailed 1-0 at Long Beach two days later when junior Adel DelJannin converted a crossing feed from senior Andrew Velasquez with about seven minutes left in regulation for a crucial 1-1 tie. It was the midfielder’s first goal of the season.
The assist was Velasquez’s team-leading 12th and sixth in the last five games. Horrmann moved him from center back to midfield this season and the switch has paid huge dividends.
“The one thing with him is he hustles,” he said. “He sees the field very good and he is a very knowledgeable player.”
There will also be some stability in goal this week. Original starting keeper Jayden Cohen has been dealing with a finger injury since the opener and junior Matthew Rivas held down the fort nicely with over 50 saves in six starts.
Cohen returned against South and started all three games of the winning streak before being held back in the last two contests in favor of Kenny Garcia. Cohen is expected to return this week and Horrmann is hoping that Rivas can continue his offensive prowess after scoring against MacArthur and Mepham.
