Herricks’ pitch-perfect season isn’t over but.
The boys soccer crew is hungry for a Lengthy Island championship after taking all of it in Nassau for the primary time in 20 years after a two-win season in 2024.
“The personnel haven’t modified. It’s the identical group of youngsters,” Highlanders head coach Adriana Mendrinos advised The Put up after preserving the dream alive with a mighty 3-0 county finals win over Syosset.
“12 months after 12 months, they get stronger, they get smarter, and we now have a bunch of leaders this 12 months that actually need to make a reputation for themselves,” added the 28-year-old, a former ahead at Queens Faculty.
Mendrinos can also be one of many few ladies teaching boys at her stage. She seems as much as the “large success” loved by Christine Ho, the coach of Plainview-Outdated Bethpage, and is passionate about her personal laurels becoming a member of the native legacy of girls in boys soccer on LI.
“I’m glad I can add to it.”
There can solely be one
Herricks as soon as once more has a protracted and tall street forward in Suffolk champion Commack, who received 2-1 over Brentwood on Monday. It would even be in enemy territory as Saturday’s LIC is hosted within the 631 at Islip Excessive Faculty, however the boys in blue may care little or no.
“It’s going to be a distinct environment, in all probability extra Suffolk followers, however I believe we simply have the mentality that we’re the higher crew, and we’ll be there,” stated Eleventh-grade striker Saif Khan.
“We’ll present up.”
No person has been displaying up like senior goalkeeper Brayden Haase, whose five-game shutout streak has carried the Highlanders via the crew’s closing two regular-season video games and all the playoffs.
“The way in which we’re enjoying proper now, I really feel like nobody can rating on us proper now,” Haase stated, lauding the crew’s “incredible” defensive presence.
Herricks’ offense has been having fun with a increase as properly, having scored six targets for the reason that county quarterfinals. Senior center-midfielder Aidan Bernic, who booted the primary objective three minutes in towards Syosset, attributes that to the boys’ tight bond translating into mighty play.
“We’ve bought plenty of chemistry and we’re enjoying with coronary heart,” he stated.
From glen to glen
The boys’ connection is shared with Mendrinos, a center faculty Spanish trainer within the district who took the position proper out of school.
She ended up having most of her athletes as college students a couple of years again.
“I do know them by the point they arrive up right here…they know our expectation by the point they attain varsity,” stated the coach, who is likely one of the youthful ones to win a county title.
“There have been children who I stated, ‘You higher maintain enjoying membership soccer as a result of while you get to the highschool, I would like you to play for me.’ ”
The main target is now on ending the job, because the Highlanders goal to win Lengthy Island for the primary time since 1996.
“There’s much more to be accomplished for Herricks as a result of the story just isn’t over but,” added center-midfielder Robert Profeta.
Tremendous saver Haase added that the Highlanders are “essentially the most assured we’ve ever been” heading into the matchup towards 17-1-1 juggernaut Commack.
Defying the chances is the Herricks mantra, in any case.
“I believe if you happen to had requested different individuals if we’d have made it this far, they’d in all probability say no,” the top coach stated.
The boys even wrote “Consider” on a locker room whiteboard in the course of the county title, a nod to the present “Ted Lasso” and fictitious AFC Richmond’s rise from zero to hero.
“We may be the underdogs going into this, but when we imagine in ourselves, we all know what we’re able to,” added Khan.
It’s a message that has been handed from the highest down since mid-October.
“One thing that assistant coach Gordon Purdie continues to say to the boys is, ‘Let’s shock the world,’ ” stated Mendrinos.
“So we’re simply going to indicate up and attempt to shock the world.”
