PREVIEW: SSHS 2011 Boys Soccer

Could the South Side High School boys' soccer team be on the verge of a dynasty?

For the most part of the last two decades, it's been the girls' team who's dominated competition and taken home home title after title, securing its spot as one of the elite teams on Long Island.

This season, however, the boys' team is on the cusp of three-peating as Class A Nassau County champions, and Head Coach Fred Paul said he knows teams will be gunning for the defending champs. "I think that will be the case," he said of teams targeting South Side. "You win two in a row, you know they're coming after you. We're fully aware of that."

South Side, whose trademark is its suffocating defense and strength in the midfield, returns five starters from last year's championship team. Mark Romanowski, Kevin Cook, Chris Harkins — who led the team with eight goals last year — and Kyle Morrissey will captain this year's team, and defensive specialist Will Nelson also returns for the Cyclones.

Paul said he thinks Romanowski, a three-year starter who was All-County in his first two years on varsity, is one of the best players on Long Island, while Morrissey will play a huge role in securing the team's midfield. 

"Our strength will be our midfield," he said. "We lost Ben Tetelman, but three of our four from our midfield are back, and the core of our team has been defense."

For Paul, the team's goal is the same every year: win the last game they play. "If we qualify for the playoffs and win the last game we play, you know where that takes us," he said.

He added that his team's experience will play a key role on how far they can go, and so far he's been impressed by his team's leaders. "We really do have our midfield coming back, and I think that permeates throughout," Paul said. "The leadership of these captains has been a benefit to us; it makes things go smoother and we can get more done in practice. They learn from each other."

Paul noted that he sees a hunger in his team, and though they're proud of what they've accomplished, they're not satisfied. Only a third consecutive title may satiate that hunger.

Senior Taylor Kosakoff is battling sophomore Thomas Germano for goalkeeper duties, and Paul said he likes what he's seen from both goalies. In the four games Kosakoff started last year, he did not allow a goal.

The boys kick off their season on Sept. 9 against Wheatley at Skelos Field.