Rams and Lady Rams soccer play through ups, downs

October brings on tough tests leading up to playoffs

October 2, 2024 at 10:36 p.m.

Senior defender Wali Imafidon tries to move past a White Plains player during the Port Chester Rams’ Friday, Sept. 27 home loss to White Plains. (Joseph DeCarlo/Westmore News)

As the October fall soccer season kicks into high gear as the end-of-month playoffs near, the competition gets ever more intense, and teams find it harder to separate themselves from the Section 1 pack with everyone fighting for the higher seedings. That has been the case for Port Chester's soccer Rams and Lady Rams in the past week or so.

Veteran coach John Cafaldo's rambling Rams split their latest two home games, beating Lincoln 4-1 last Wednesday (9/25) and then getting shut out 2-0 by White Plains Friday (9/27).

The scoring touch

Bertrand Moreau scored a hat trick against the Lincs, notching three goals, while Marcos Barajas also scored. David Dolores had two assists while Jayden Coyt had one. And the Rams looked solid.

    Eighth grader Valeria Torres tries to win a ball from a Fox Lane opponent in the Lady Rams’ Saturday, Sept. 28 home loss to the Foxes.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

But the scores evaporated in a defensive duel against White Plains.

 That leaves us wondering which Rams team will show up against Horace Greeley Monday (10/7) and Wednesday (10/9) against Ossining, both at home at 4:30 p.m. as the fall season games start dwindling down to a precious few before the playoffs.

    Senior midfielder Marcos Barajas heads the ball toward the goal in the Port Chester Rams’ 4-2 home loss to White Plains on Friday, Sept. 27.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

Lady Rams head coach Danny Alvarado had similar concerns after his team got shut out twice against Greeley and Fox Lane by scores of 4-0 and 5-0 respectively to that powerful duo and then lost to White Plains 4-2 after leading 2-0 at halftime.

Counts on captains

But Alvarado is counting on his senior co-captains Gioiella Pastena and Bridget Morocho to settle down his young, relatively inexperienced team on offense and defense respectively and thinks it is only a matter of time before his scorers like Saidy Hernandez, Gianna Rende and Daniela Lopez start picking up the pace.

    Senior goalkeeper Tamara Correia punts the ball in the Lady Rams’ Saturday, Sept. 28 home loss to Fox Lane.
 By Joseph DeCarlo   

Hopefully that will start in the next few games when the Lady Rams go up against Greeley Monday (10/7) away at 4:30 p.m. and Ossining at home Tuesday (10/8) at 5 p.m. Both are tough teams that should put the locals to the test. But that is the kind of testing the Lady Rams must get used to if they want to make any kind of playoff run. And they do. So what happens next is up to them.