Ram and Lady Ram soccer teams sharpen their skills so they are ready when playoffs start in late October
September 25, 2024 at 10:22 p.m.
At the highest level of ultra-competitive Section 1 soccer, games are often decided by one goal. And while the coaches want to win, experienced mentors like John Cafaldo and Danny Alvarado, head coaches of the Rams and Lady Rams, know that the early season games serve a purpose beyond the W-L record.
The idea is to test their teams against the area's best, but failure, even by the closest of scores, isn't the name of the game at this stage. The idea is to iron out the mistakes, sharpen the skills, teamwork and conditioning, and get ready for the ultimate test—the playoffs to come late in October.
Rams slay the Knights
That is exactly what the Rams and Lady Rams have been doing in their latest games over the past week or so.
In their game against Mount Vernon last Tuesday (9/17), for example, Cafaldo's Rams cruised to a rare 5-0 blowout against the Knights with goals scored by Brayan Lapoyeu (off an assist by David Dolores), Brandon Flores (with an assist by Dolores), Jason Reyes (assisted by Bertrand Moreau) and Jason Coyt (with Marcos Barajas recording the assist). Dolores also scored off a penalty.
Any time the Rams get five scores and five assists from five different players, that means they are capable of heating up and firing on all cylinders.
Ossining, Greeley misses
But then there are times when they don't, like losing 1-0 to Ossining last Thursday (9/19) in a defensive gem of a game reminiscent of the one the Rams lost 2-1 earlier in the season to Roy C. Ketcham, one of the area's top ranked teams.
And somewhere in between is the game the Rams lost 5-1 to Horace Greeley Saturday (9/21) with the final score deceptive because the closely-contested game was tied 1-1 at halftime with Rocco Larizza scoring the Rams’ only goal off an assist from Moreau. But it was like a different Ram team showed up for the second game because what looked like it could be Port Chester's finest hour turned into what Cafaldo called "our worst performance of the year."
Senior midfield Brayan Lapoyeu battles for the ball in the Rams’ Sept. 17 victory over Mt. Vernon.By Joseph DeCarlo
Alvarado's Lady Rams also had their ups and downs.
The Lady Ram scorers
They lost 7-1 to Ossining away last Friday (9/20) with the Lady Rams’ only score coming from Daniela Lopez off a corner kick from Gioiella Pastena. But they showed their resilience in bouncing back against Spring Valley Monday (9/23) at home with the scores coming from Valeria Torres (2) along with single goals from Pastena, Saidy Hernandez, Gloria Rende and the opportunistic Bridget Morocho who booted one home into the net after the ball bounced off a defender.
But that's the way the ball bounces—sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. And the early season games are designed to help stack the odds in your favor come the end of October when the playoffs determine what teams are really the best of the best.
The games ahead
The Lady Rams get their next tune-up Thursday (9/26) away against always tough White Plains at 4:45 p.m. with their next home game Saturday (9/28) against Fox Lane at 11 a.m. The Rams kick off Friday (9/27) at home against White Plains at 4:30 p.m.
Whatever happens, W or L, it is all part of the hunt to be one of the last teams standing during the late October run into the playoffs.
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