High School Soccer Preview

Short-handed 'Canes still aiming high

Posted 9/2/14

When the current seniors joined the Warwick Vets boys’ soccer…

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High School Soccer Preview

Short-handed 'Canes still aiming high

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When the current seniors joined the Warwick Vets boys’ soccer program, the Hurricanes were mired in a second consecutive winless season. Since then, those players have helped Vets morph into a Division III contender.

This year, the ’Canes don’t have quite as much depth or talent as last year’s 10-win club, but the now-seniors don’t plan to stop their upward climb.

“This senior class has been fantastic,” said Vets head coach Mike Kenney. “They’ve worked hard the last few years. This year, they came in in shape. It’s a good group, a nice group and I really want them to do well. They know that we’re not loaded but they’re giving it everything they’ve got. They’re not blind to the fact that we’re a little short, but they’re just doing their thing. They’re battling.”

They hope that’s enough for another good season.

Last year, the ’Canes went 10-3-2 in the regular season, the fourth-best mark in Division III. They were upset in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs by fifth-seeded Cranston East.

The loss marked the end of the line for a host of talented players like leading scorer Justin Batista and all-division goalie Mike Riccitelli, and the overall numbers are down this year after the graduation losses.

Still, there’s optimism.

“We don’t have the numbers so we have to stay healthy,” Kenney said. “If we do, we’ll be fine.”

The strong senior class leads a core that fuels much of the optimism. Midfielder Nikone Soupharath and sweeper Brad Robert were first-team all-division selections a year ago and are back in the fold, along with defender Jon Hunt and midfielders Adam Dorsey and Andrew Falaguerra. The senior class also includes Jacob Clark and Trent Mochel, who don’t have as much experience but are poised to contribute.

Junior Josiah Enos, a third-team all-division pick, is also back.

“I’ve got a nice core,” Kenney said. “I’m optimistic.”

Among the three units, Kenney is most confident in his midfield, which will be led for the third straight year by Soupharath.

“Nikone is Nikone,” Kenney said. “He is one of the, if not, the best player in Division III.”

Enos will join Soupharath in the middle of the field, with Dorsey and Falaguerra on the wings.

It’s the same lineup Vets trotted out last year.

“That’s the same as last year, so we build around that,” Kenney said. “That’s a good place to start.”

The defense is led by Robert and Hunt, both key players last year. In last week’s Warwick Vets Fall Soccer Tournament, the other two spots were held down by Mochel and junior Andy Leblanc, but the lineup is still a work in progress.

Behind them, juniors Ryan Costa and Cam Skuce are competing for the goalie job, replacing multi-year starter Riccitelli. Whichever player doesn’t win the job may contribute in the field.

Up front, the ’Canes will look to sophomore Danny Lobato, who saw some action last year. Junior Brett Farrar, who played as a freshman before taking last year off, joined Lobato at forward in the tournament last week.

Chris Grundy, Jacob Plouffe and a few others could compete for playing time in various spots, as well.

In last week’s tournament, Vets went 0-2 with a 1-0 loss to Pilgrim and a 3-1 loss to Bishop Hendricken. But with both goalies out of action for driver’s education classes and big lineup shuffles as a result, it wasn’t a bad performance.

“We had to play a bunch of kids out of position, but I thought tonight went fine,” Kenney said. “We didn’t win the games, so I didn’t like the results, but the Pilgrim game, I thought was a push. Hendricken, we got tired, but we battled.”

As the regular-season gets underway, the ’Canes will keep doing just that. They open Friday at home against Masters Regional Academy.

“I think in this division, if we stay healthy, we can get a spot in the playoffs,” Kenney said. “I have faith in the kids.”

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