PCHS soccer teams ready for playoffs Fri. and Sat. against now certain opponents
October 23, 2024 at 9:51 p.m.
The Rams and Lady Rams know they are heading into the postseason playoffs season Friday and Saturday (10/25/26), but they didn't know who or where they would be playing until just before press time.
This much they do know: The Rams look dangerous, having won two of their last three games during the past week while the Lady Rams split a deuce over the same timeframe looking good in one game and not so hot in the other.
Ups, downs of trifecta
The Rams beat White Plains 2-1 last Tuesday (10/15) with Emmanuel Garcia scoring the winning goal off an assist from Jayden Coyt. Coyt scored the earlier goal with an assist from Marcos Barajas.
They had an easier time of it last Thursday (10/17) beating Lincoln 9-1 with an awesome display of their scoring prowess. Alexander Villa kicked it off with a hat trick of three goals and an assist while Brayan Lapoyeu and Brandon Flores each notched a deuce. Enrigue Farias had a goal and an assist, Ivan Henao had a goal, Jeyson Reyes and Coyt both came through with two assists and Emanuel Valdovinos had an assist.
Head coach John Cafaldo found himself wishing his Rams had saved at least one of those goals and assists because they lost to Fox Lane 2-1 Saturday (10/19) with Villa scoring their only goal off an assist from Giovanni Arrequin.
"We will have the week to prepare for a playoff game on Saturday," Cafaldo said after the loss to the Foxes. "I'm not sure of our seeding or our opponent, but by the looks of things, we will be on the road. We will need to build off of our latest successes in order to make a deep run into the postseason. And we will have a final tune up Wednesday (10/23) away against Pleasantville (after press time).
Hot, cold Lady Rams
Head Lady Rams soccer coach Danny Alvarado's team blew hot and cold in splitting their fall season's final two games, beating Ramapo 10-0 and losing to Fox Lane 5-0. In the Ramapo game last Tuesday (10/15), P.C. shut out Ramapo with seven players scoring. Freshman Valeria Torres led the scoring parade with a 3-goal hat trick, Jamileth Cabrera scored twice and Daniela Lopez, Kelly Mendoza, Gioiella Pastena, and Mariana Torres (Valeria's 8th grade sister) each scored once. That scoring outburst gave them their eighth win, five more than they recorded last year when they finished 3-12.
Their 5-0 shutout loss to the Foxes in the final game of the fall season also had Alvarado wishing they had saved at least five of those goals for the Fox Lane game, but wishing doesn't make it so as Alvarado well knows as a League Coach of the Year for three consecutive years (2019/20/21) with this year one of his best coaching efforts yet because he has a mostly young, inexperienced team.
Ready and raring to go
But the finale did leave Alvarado with a lot of 8s—the Lady Rams finished 8-8 for the season and were in 8th place in the Class AAA standings. "Most likely we will play on Friday, seeded where and against who I don't know yet," Alvarado said earlier this week with the postseason playoff season schedule not yet announced.
This much Alvarado does know: He is counting on his veteran senior co-captains Bridget Morocho and Pastena to run the defense and offense respectively and he expects scoring help from Saidy Hernandez and Gianna Rende. But, whatever happens, Alvarado will have his Lady Rams ready for whatever the post-season brings. And so will Cafaldo.
In late breaking news Wednesday, both coaches learned who their playoff rivals will be just before press time: The Rams will play Ramapo away Saturday (10/26) at 11 a.m. while the Lady Rams will kick off against Mamaroneck away Friday (10/25) at 4 p.m. And, whatever happens, win or lose, both Port Chester soccer teams have had a fall season to remember.
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