SWR boys soccer stays perfect after revenge win over Kings Park
Ever since the Shoreham-Wading River boys soccer team lost, 6-1, in the Suffolk County Class A semifinals against Kings Park last year, the group that returned was determined to right the ship and compete for a championship they felt they rightfully deserved.
With a proven leader in new head coach Dani Braga, the Wildcats have stormed to a 12-0 start in regular-season play — and show no signs of slowing down.
“I think these guys needed a strong voice,” Braga said. “The talent on this team is unmatched. We have the ability to play with anyone, but I felt like maybe the accountability was lacking. We quickly took care of that this season.”
Since that playoff loss, SWR hasn’t dropped a single match, including summer competition in the Town of Brookhaven league, where they won the championship.
“Nobody liked how our season ended last year,” midfielder Andrew Stiene said. “That’s probably one of our worst losses in the history of the soccer program here. Every one of us that returned vowed that wouldn’t happen again.”
The Wildcats opened the season with five consecutive shutouts, outscoring their opponents, 19-0.
As the competition stiffened, they continued to deliver. On Sept. 27, SWR faced perennial powerhouse Garden City in a non-league matchup. Garden City, the reigning Class AA state champion, entered the game having lost just twice in four years — but left with a rare defeat after Matt Thomsen converted a penalty kick late in the first half for a 1-0 SWR victory.
“It was a major win for the program,” Braga said. “But I told the boys it doesn’t mean anything really. We want a championship. There’s no time to celebrate. We have bigger goals to accomplish this season.”
The biggest test of the season came three days later against Kings Park — the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. Feelings of revenge flowed through every player’s veins, vividly remembering the loss they suffered just a season ago.
“We all remember that like it was yesterday,” forward Zach Makarewicz said. “We wanted nothing more than to beat them and to prove that we were a better team this season.”
But early on it was a case of same-old, same-old. The Wildcats gave up two goals in the first half and were unable to find an answer — oftentimes hitting the post or sailing their shots past or over the net.
At halftime, Braga’s fiery speech echoed through the stadium. He encouraged the boys to play within themselves and make the right play. He screamed for effort, and he got it.
Makarewicz scored twice in the second half — the first goal off of a throw in that he nonchalantly tapped with his foot past the keeper and then later scored off a header following a free kick in the Kings Park zone.
“We’ve been playing with each other since we were little kids,” Makarewicz said. “We all had trust in each other to get back in the game. I got my opportunities, and I took advantage of them.”
That was Makarewicz’s 14th and 15th goals of the season
“Makarewicz is that perfect blend of athlete and soccer player,” Braga said. “He can do things that a lot of people can’t just with his pure athleticism. His speed puts him in a position to make a play and his soccer IQ allows him to find the goals.”
The game went into the golden goal overtime. In the second ten minute period, Makarewicz rolled the ball over to Stiene, who found space and buried it in the corner of the net for the victory. Stiene ripped his shirt off in celebration and ran over to the student section to get embraced.
“Incredible moment for us,” Stiene said. “We fell behind, but nobody quit fighting. We all believed we could still win the game. I’m glad we found a way to win, but we don’t want this to be the highlight of our season. We want that championship.”
The team followed up its dramatic victory with a 7-0 rout at Sayville on Thursday, Oct. 4. Makarewicz netted a hat trick to give him 18 goals on the season, putting him second in Suffolk County.
With three games remaining on the schedule this season, the Wildcats are eyeing the Class A playoffs — and possibly the school’s first-ever state title.
“We are never going to look past the next game,” Braga said. “We’re never going to get too high or too low. To be a champion, you have to take it one game at a time. I’ve done it before as a coach, and I know what we need to do. As long as the boys buy in, which they have, the sky is the limit for this group.”
