Mepham looks to click in playoffs

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Mepham boys’ soccer knew it would have a lot of shoes – or rather, cleats – to fill if it wanted to defend the Nassau County Class A championship after losing 10 starters to graduation last spring. And while it has been an uneven season for the Pirates, there have been many bright spots that have enabled them to not only qualify for the playoffs, but to also provide a glimpse of what the future holds.

While the Pirates have only recorded one conference loss this season, they’ve played to five draws, including a recent five-game stretch where they only scored one goal. Still, at 4-1-5 (5-3-6 overall), they find themselves entering this week locked into at least fourth place in Conference A1, good enough for a guaranteed playoff position.

Coach Zach Gosse said he’s proud of his younger players who have stepped up but admitted it has been frustrating settling for draws in winnable games. “If we pick up one or two wins out of any of those games,” he said, “we’d be looking at second place in our conference. That being said, these guys have been huge performers for us this year.”

Inexperience has been Mepham’s biggest challenge. Whereas last year’s team was defined by consistency and few formation changes, this year, he said, lineups have required game-to-game adjustments based on their opponent.

But his young team has shown flashes of brilliance. Visiting MacArthur last month in their second league game, the Pirates trailed 4-2 with 12 minutes, only to tie the game in the waning seconds on a perfectly placed free kick by senior Christian Murcia.

“Coming out there that way, drawing 4-4 in the last 6 seconds, that felt like a win,” Gosse said.

Against an undefeated New Hyde Park team on Sept. 27, the Pirates score the first goal the Wildcats allowed all year. At the same time, however, the game highlighted the frustrating aspect of their season as they allowed the tying goal with two minutes remaining to settle for a 1-1 tie.

Still, whether his team thriving or struggling, Gosse raved about his players’ composure. “The guys never get negative at all,” he said. “Even when they’re drawing games they feel like they should be winning. It’s always looking forward, looking to the next one. It’s very optimistic which is very helpful as a coach.”

Among the underclassmen whose play has impressed Gosse this year include freshman Konstantinos Karousis and sophomores Daniel Shami and sophomore Carter Chiarello. Gosse also shouted out senior Gaetano Parisi, who leads the team with seven goals.

Mepham broke its scoring drought in the most recent and final league game last Friday, a 4-1 victory over Elmont, thanks to two goals apiece by Parisi and junior Derek Stevanovic. With their league schedule complete, Mepham now awaits its playoff opponent.

“We’re hoping we get a good seed in the playoffs and that we can make a run,” Gosse said. “Anything can happen. It’s one game at a time. It’s the playoffs and it’s high school soccer. Anyone can beat anyone.”