Zarba overcomes challenges in soccer league

The South Shore soccer hamlet of Oceanside was particularly hit by Hurricane Sandy a year ago and the Oceanside Fusion of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) was no exception as six players were displaced from their homes, including the home of goalkeeper Peter Zarba, living in the neighboring town of Island Park. The Zarbas received over a foot of water on their first floor and the family just finished rebuilding.

But that was far from the biggest challenge confronting Peter in the past year as his father, Peter Sr., died suddenly of a heart attack on February 8, 2013. He had become physically challenged after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident when he was a college student.

“Peter Zarba Sr. loved watching his son play, and he would make it to just about every game, even if it meant pushing his wheelchair through dirt, stones or grass fields,” Ron Miller, a Fusion coach, stated. “He always had a smile and a kind word and his passing hit the team hard.”

Peter said, “His loss has been devastating for me as he was a huge part of my life that cannot be replaced.”

The Fusion coaches agreed that Peter responded with having one of his best seasons, highlighted by a victory over the Southampton Strikers in the Long Island Cup quarterfinals that the team won 4-3 after eight rounds of the shootout, as well as a shootout victory over the Hauppauge Azzurri that put Oceanside into the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) State Cup final. That shootout lasted an incredible 12 rounds of penalty kicks and Peter even scored a goal on his turn.

Last spring, Oceanside had an overall record of 17-3-0. On June 16 at the Three Village Soccer Park in Stony Brook, Oceanside blanked the Albertson Lions, 3-0, in the Long Island Cup final with Brandon Tarrash, Zachary Brooks and Jason Rosa scoring the goals. Peter got the shutout in goal and says that winning the Long Island Cup final was his best moment ever on a soccer field.

Along with the LIJSL Division 2 championship and the Manalapan Memorial Day Tournament title in New Jersey, that was an amazing three titles in four weeks for the Fusion.