LYNN– Before the season started, English boys soccer coach Kerry King was confident that his Bulldogs could compete with any opponent on their schedule. Thus far, English has proven him right.
The Bulldogs are nine games into the 2019 campaign and, at 8-0-1, have yet to be defeated.
“We really thought we had a strong team this year,” King said. “We knew we had talent but we had a few question marks. We had some new players, a freshman goaltender and we put some midfielders back to defense, so we didn’t know how some things would go.”
The keys to the team’s success starts with senior leadership. Captains Yonel Espinoza, Chris Lazo, Andric Barrios and Ryan Zollo have set the tone from the very beginning in regard to what this season’s all about.
“They did a terrific job during the offseason organizing workouts,” King said. “They did a terrific job getting us into shape. We started the season on a mission. They’re very supportive of all the younger players. They do a great job helping the younger guys understand our philosophy. I can honestly say that every kid comes to practice willing to work hard and work together. They aren’t worried about stats. They just want to win.”
King’s assistant coaches have also played a major part in the team’s swift start.
“Peter Pappagianapoulos is a terrific organizer,” King said. “He does a great job organizing practice. He spends a lot of time working with Jack (Mancaniello) in goal. Valdrim Xhemajli does a great job motivating our players. He helps us run an intense practice. He’s very passionate. His energy has really inspired our team.”
Speed and skill have been the strengths English’s attack. Lazo, a forward, leads the team in goals scored with six.
“First and foremost, Chris has speed,” King said. “I think anytime he touches the ball he’s dangerous. He puts a lot of pressure on defenses and he has a great shot with his left foot too.”
Junior forward Ryan Lima’s a close second with five goals. Lima has logged seven assists this fall.
“Ryan’s another player with tremendous speed,” King said. “He does an excellent job drawing defenders toward him and creating space for Chris. He’s an unselfish player. At times we want him to be more selfish because he has such a knack for the net. But he does a great job distributing the ball to his teammates.”
Sophomore forward Jalen Coriolan has also netted five goals. Center-midfielders Luis Aleman (junior), Alberto Ampudia (sophomore) and Gessler Regalado (sophomore) round out a deep offense.
“I think one of the biggest keys for us up front is we’re well balanced,” King said. “We have guys with great speed and they’re unselfish. It’s hard for other teams to mark one of them. If you mark one of them, it’s going to create time and space for the others.”
On defense, experience is the strongpoint. The Bulldogs carry four senior defenders in Barrios, Espinoza, Zollo and Obed Baswa.
“All of them are three and four-year varsity players,” King said. “They’re strong, fast and physical. And they do a great job of distributing the ball to our midfield.”
An experienced defense goes a long way in helping freshman goalie Jack Mancaniello keep a clean net. Although Mancaniello’s new to the varsity level, he’s proven himself in key moments throughout the season. He averages five saves per game.
“Jack plays with a lot of poise,” King said. “He has great size for a goalie, great athleticism. He does a great job taking the right angles. He’s just a very seasoned goalie. He has great foot skills. He’s not afraid to come off the line and stop those shots that sometimes might be a danger.”
English checked off its first goal of the regular season by qualifying for the Division 1 North state tournament, which it hadn’t done since 2011, with last Friday’s 4-3 win over Peabody. But King said the Bulldogs are far from done.
“We really just want to focus on improving every day,” King said. “Hopefully we have our sights set on a high seed in Division 1 North and hopefully contending for the Northeastern Conference title.”
