Lady Rams and Rams soccer kick off on right foot with past stalwarts stepping up to assist coaches
September 18, 2024 at 10:21 p.m.
Port Chester's storied soccer past is stepping up in the present to help mold the future—and it is already paying big dividends for the Rams and Lady Rams.
Steven Hernandez, the Rams’ all-time leader in scoring and assists, has returned to the sidelines as an assistant coach working with veteran head coach John Cafaldo—his former mentor—after a brief pro fling. And the former collegiate All-America at American International University is having an immediate inspirational effect on the Rams high school varsity.
Ex-Lady Ram high scorer and assist leader Cecelia (Ceci) Martinez and former Ram stalwart Jonathan Garces are giving the Lady Rams a similar motivational lift as assistant coaches after stellar careers at SUNY Cortland.
Positive initial results
Their impact has been almost immediately apparent in the way both teams played in the past week or so.
To gauge that impact, let's start with the ladies first.
"Ceci and Jon Garces have really and truly inspired the girls not to mention also having a rejuvenating effect on me," Lady Rams head coach Danny Alvarado—himself an ex-Ram athlete—said after his team's latest win, a 6-1 romp over Scarsdale B this past Monday (9/16) with Saidy Hernandez scoring a rare Ceci-like hat trick (three goals) to lead the way.
"I’m going into my 15th year as head coach, and I welcome their insights and collegiate playing experience," Alvarado said, reflecting the knowhow that comes from having been twice named League Coach of the Year as well as mentoring one of the best Lady Rams soccer teams in history, an unbeaten team that was sidelined only by a COVID-shortened season that cost them the chance to win a Sectional title.
Focus on the team
Alvarado preferred to talk about his current team, not himself, focusing on their 4-0 start to the new fall season.
PCHS sophomore Jhamileth Cabrera (#8) attempts to kick the ball away from a Ramapo defender as the Lady Rams trampled their opponents 8-0 on Saturday, Sept. 14 at home.By Chloe Trieff
"We won 4-1 versus Peekskill during our final scrimmage and then we won our first official game against Spring Valley 4-0," he said, noting that Saidy Hernandez helped start the season on the right foot by leading the team in scoring with two goals (off assists from Valeria Torres and co-captain Gioiella Pastena) and returned the favor with assists on goals by Kelly Mendoza and Daniela Lopez (off a rebound). Goalie Tamara Correia had five saves in that game."
"It was a good start to the season and got us in the right frame of mind with the girls working hard to improve from last season," Alvarado said.
That frame of mind kept on getting better in their last two games—an 8-0 win over Ramapo and 6-1 victory over Scarsdale B.
Scoring hit parade leaders
In the Ramapo shutout, Torres led the scoring parade with a deuce and the other scores came from co-captain Bridget Morocho, Gianna Rende, Leslie Reyes, Juliana Castillo. Jhamileth Cabrera and Torres. And the Lady Rams kept firing away against Scarsdale B with Saidy Torres getting that rare hat trick while other scorers included Valeria Torres, Lopez and Pastena.
"The team is looking good, really good, with our two senior captains (Pastena and Morocho) steadying the scorers and defense respectively and Ceci and Jonathan making strong contributions as assistant coaches," Alvarado said.
The Lady Rams hope to keep their winning streak going in their next away match Friday (9/20) at 5 p.m. against always tough Ossining.
In the same timeframe, Cafaldo's Rams beat two of the league's better teams, edging Mamaroneck 2-0 last Wednesday (9/11) with goals coming from Bertrand Arana-Moreau and Enrique Farias with Mathew Ceja pitching the shutout as the acrobatic goalkeeper. They also shut out Clarkstown South 4-0 last Friday (9/13) with Pedro Barreno stepping up as one of the Rams’ two-headed goalkeeper tandem this time around. Farias, Emmanuel Garcia, Marcos Barajas and Rocco Larizza scored the Rams’ goals.
The Rams will look to add another win to their resume Saturday (9/21) away at 10 a.m. against Horace Greeley, another strong team.
The coaching philosophy
Win or lose, both the Rams and Lady Rams are playing well, their hustle, drive and determination a tribute to their coaches with a strong assist from returning ex-Ram and Lady Ram stalwarts anxious to contribute to Port Chester's storied athletic tradition.
They are living up to one of Coach Alvarado's favorite quotations from InSideOut Coaching's Joe Ehrmann: "Sports may be the perfect venue in which to build character. But sports don't build character unless a coach possesses character and intentionally teaches it. Sports can team with ethics and character and spirituality; virtuous coaching can integrate the body with the heart, the mind, and the soul."
That is the kind of refreshing coaching attitude that helps make Port Chester soccer so special.
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