Beacon graduated four starters from last year’s Manhattan A division champion and city runner-up squad, but it felt like much more. Striker Baimba Freeman, goalkeeper Jesse Toporek, sweeper Will Congdon and center midfielder Caetano Sanchez weren’t just difference makers because of their skills, but for their leadership qualities as well.
“They were so mature, it came natural,” Beacon coach Alec Mahrer said. “Now it’s a committee.”
Not that Mahrer is expecting the Blue Demons to take a step back.
He has replaced Toporek in net with 6-foot-1 sophomore Max Brown, a transfer from the United Nations School who plays for the New York Red Bulls Academy club team. The void left by explosive Freeman will be filled by junior Peter Poulos, whose brother, Tom, is an attacking midfielder. Junior Pascal Louis (six goals, three assists) will be one of Beacon’s top scoring threats. Sophomore Ryan Cupolo will replace Sanchez at center midfield, and returning starting fullbacks Jacob Kipnis and Alex Schrum, both seniors, will share sweeper duties.
Mahrer has liked the results in preseason: wins over PSAL semifinalists Francis Lewis and Columbus, and CHSAA power Regis. It won’t take long to see where this team ranks. Beacon opens PSAL play Wednesday against Martin Luther King, which upended the Blue Demons on penalty kicks in last year’s final to earn their 11th city title in 13 years.
“The difference between this team and last year’s team is there are no real superstars,” Mahrer said. “We’re pretty strong up and down the field and we have depth. I can go three, four, five deep in subs. I’d like to think we can be just as successful as last year.”
On paper, Stuyvesant was expected to contend for Manhattan A and join Beacon and MLK among the city’s elite. It lost to PSAL semifinalist Francis Lewis in the second round of the playoffs, but the entire core was returning, from striker Cody Levine to midfielders Arik Raviv, Colin O’Connor and Andres Fernandez, and keeper Alex Sandler.
But coach Adam Goldstein left the program to take a job as an assistant at Brooklyn College. New coach Feliks Fuksman, who most recently ran the program at Baruch College Campus, was disappointed to see so many no-shows — particularly integral seniors — for summer practices. Some weren’t around because of club team obligations, others for family vacations.
“I’m afraid it’s going to effect us in the season,” Fuksman said. “It’s hard to prepare without your key players. It’s not how I thought it was going to be. When I met them in June, we looked good.”
Julia Richman has failed to make the playoffs the past three years, but that doesn’t mean the Panthers aren’t postseason worthy. Coach Luis Flores’ club just so happens to play in the same division as juggernauts Beacon and MLK, responsible for 12 of the last 13 city champions.
“I always tell my colleagues outside of Manhattan we play five finals every year,” said Flores, entering his ninth season. “We give [Beacon and MLK] a hard time. Sometimes we come up a little short. When they face us, it’s not a cakewalk for them. We can pull an upset.”
The Panthers lost all five meetings to the two nationally ranked foes, but were in each contest at halftime. The combination of a veteran team and only two meetings apiece with the two established powers has Flores hopeful Richman can qualify for the city’s second season.
Senior keeper Jhoan Avila and center midfielder Peter Diamantidis are the mainstays, but there are plenty of emerging youngsters as well. Speedy junior striker Seid Sale has impressed Flores, as has sophomore midfielder Yohannes Murphy and freshman fullback Langston Sanchez, whose older brother, Caetano, starred for Beacon before graduating last spring.
Lab Museum’s record has progressively worsened each of the last four seasons, from 10-2-0 to 2-8-2 last fall. The Gators did nearly upset Stuyvesant twice last year, falling by identical 2-1 scores. Junior Jackson McGonagle is expected to carry the load offensively for Lab, and senior keeper Spencer Cirella and his Manhattan A-leading .0911 goals-against-average, is back.
To say A. Philip Randolph’s move up to the ‘A’ division hasn’t gone smoothly would be an understatement. After winning the PSAL Class B city crown in 2006, the Cougars have struggled against elite competition, going 2-22-0. For Randolph to improve, they will need plenty of production from junior Eduardo Carino, who scored five goals a season ago.
