Eye of the Tiger: Conversations with North Salem's Soccer Champions

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - For members of the 2024 boys soccer team, the memories of Nov. 16 will last a lifetime. 

On that day, the Tigers brought the state championship home to North Salem. 

The road to the climactic matchup with Allegany-Limestone was paved with dominant victories, capping off an historic season that saw longtime Coach Ron Hendrie win his third state title. 

Long before the Tigers stepped onto the field at Middletown High School to take their place in history, there was a feeling that this year’s squad was special. 

In a preseason interview with North Salem News, Coach Hendrie claimed that his team arrived with the most enthusiastic attitude he had ever seen in his career. 

The previous year, the Tigers had taken a tough loss in the regional round to eventual state champions Mount Academy. With nearly the entire roster returning, this season’s team came in energized and focused on the goal ahead. 

“This year it was obvious that the boys were determined that nobody was going to deny them a run at the championship,” said Coach Hendrie. “It seemed that with last year’s premature loss festering for nearly a year, we went into each match almost with a vengeance.”

Team Culture

That attitude quickly led to wins, with the Tigers amassing a regular season record of 11-2-3.

“This year was just a bunch of friends having fun playing together with a collective ambition to win big,” explained senior captain and goalie George Naber. 

Many of the players on North Salem’s roster had been playing soccer together for most of their lives, and the cohesion and camaraderie translated into a winning culture. 

“The team benefited from having chemistry over 11 years of playing soccer together, and it finally clicked during our final year all together,” said junior Max Cotrone. “It was so great with what we had this year, and I knew we had it in us from our regional loss last year. I think that loss especially motivated us more than ever to get the job done.”

The motivation from last season’s playoff shortcoming spread across the entire team. Throughout the regular season, the Tigers went to war with larger schools. Each game would help build confidence and chemistry, eventually setting the stage for a dominant playoff run. 

“Playing good class AAA, AA, and B schools in the run of the regular season made playing schools our own size seem easier,” said Coach Hendrie. “I would surely give some merit to the enthusiasm and competitiveness this group brought to this season for the reason why we were so competitive during the postseason.”

Playoff Push 

With the regular season over, it was time for the Tigers to be tested in the playoffs. 

First up was a sectional semifinal matchup against Haldane on Oct. 30, where the Tigers turned away the Blue Devils on the strength of a hat trick from sophomore Juben Lazri.

Days later, North Salem battered Tuckahoe 6-0 in the section title game behind goals from Lazri, Ryan Vorfi, Nicholas Naber, Sean Randall, and John Gogo. 

Advancing to the subregional round once again, the echos of last year’s defeat quickly faded. 

The Tigers squared off against Rhinebeck on Nov. 6, coming away with a thrilling 2-0 win with a pair of goals from Lazri off assists from Justin Major and Aidan Santis. 

The team continued firing on all cylinders in the regional final, pummeling Greenport 6-0 at Diamond in the Pines in Brookhaven on Nov. 9. Cotrone led the charge with a hat trick, with Naber, Randall, and Rolando Cortez also netting goals. Vorfi, Isaac Rouse, and Nicolas Maya also had assists. 

Nicholas Naber would later explain his mindset during the game.

“Going into the match against Greenport I knew every win meant I got to play another game with the same guys I’ve grown up playing with,” said Naber. “I didn’t feel like I was playing in a regional final. I felt like it was just another game with my friends.”

With so many different players notching goals and assists, senior captain Ryan Vorfi weighed in on the team’s balanced scoring attack.

“Our success came from the variety of players we had in rotation, each bringing unique skill sets to the table,” Vorfi said. “The midfield’s ability to stay in sync and find a rhythm was crucial in feeding our goal scorers and keeping the attack balanced. Once we hit the postseason, that chemistry and versatility really started to shine, allowing us to capitalize on opportunities and keep our opponents guessing.”

Semifinal Sensation

With regionals in the rearview, North Salem was set to take the big stage. The only thing between them and a state title was a pair of games at Middletown High School. 

Before the Tigers could think of appearing in a championship matchup, they would first have to contend with Loudonville Christian School on Nov. 15. 

Under the lights, the squad once again turned their opponent away scoreless in a big 3-0 win. Santis, Rouse and Liam Keegan would all net goals, with Vorfi adding an assist.

The win over Loudonville Christian sent the Tigers to the finals and continued a postseason run where the squad had not allowed a goal.

“The key to the defense was aggressiveness,” explained George Naber. “That, combined with the physicality and speed we had in the back this year, made it very hard for any team to score.”

State Champions

The following day, the Tigers were poised to etch their names into the history books. Standing in their way were the Allegany-Limestone Gators.

The squad took the field at Middletown High School in front of a raucous crowd of hometown fans, many of which were outfitted in Tiger costumes. 

North Salem would strike first, with junior Sean Randall capitalizing on a penalty kick at 17:21 after being fouled by the Gators’ goalkeeper. 

“I immediately knew the penalty would be a turning point in the momentum of the game,” recalled Randall. “When I got fouled and heard the whistle, I went straight to get the ball. I knew I was taking it because I personally take a lot of pride in those things and I always back myself. I knew there was no one else I’d rather have take it.”

His confidence paid off, beating the keeper to put North Salem up 1-0. 

“Scoring meant so much to me because I know how important this title was to every one of our boys and to Coach Hendrie and Valenti,” Randall added. “To play that big of a role in securing it, I couldn’t have been happier.”

The Tigers carried the one-goal lead into the half, and murmurs of excitement began to grow among the North Salem faithful. 

But Allegany-Limestone refused to go quietly, with Zander Parsons netting the equalizer off a corner at 36:25 in the second frame.

With the tension and anticipation of an entire season at an all-time high, the Tigers would not be denied. 

At 15:23, senior Jack Newman would provide the heroics, scoring the go-ahead goal off an assist from sophomore Liam Keegan. 

The squad’s defense would clamp down in the waning minutes, and it was finally time to start the celebration. As the clock ran out, a crowd of North Salem students (including a rowdy pack of Tigers) rushed the field to celebrate with the newly crowned champions. 

Reflections

Following the win, the Tigers took time to look back on the season and the magical playoff run. 

“As early as preseason this year, all the guys on the team agreed we would be content with nothing more than a state championship,” said Nicholas Naber. “But I believe as the season went on, as much as we wanted to be able to call ourselves state champions, we just didn’t want the season to end. This was the key to our success.”

“I think everybody subconsciously stepped it up when playoffs began and that’s what really gave us the edge,” added Sean Randall. “We knew the quality we had in the team and we knew if we played to our potential and our strengths there were very few teams in New York that could play with us. And that really proved true when you look at our results in the playoffs.”

While Max Cotrone and Ryan Vorfi relished the achievement, they also looked to the future of soccer in North Salem. 

“The feeling of winning it all with your best friends was the best feeling I could ask for. Why not hope to do it again next year?” opined Cotrone. “We have a bunch of strong players returning with more confidence than ever. The chemistry doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I hope to bring an even bigger presence then I did this year, and I hope to bring a strong sense of leadership to the team as well. With my ability to play, it will only benefit me and the team. We will be returning to Middletown High School next year.”

“I still have so many childhood friends returning next year, and I’m confident they can achieve even more success,” added Vorfi. “I also hope my younger brother, who’s currently in 8th grade, flourishes under this amazing program. It’s been incredible to be part of something so special, and I know the future is bright for this team.”

With the Tigers claiming another state championship, Athletic Director Denise Kiernan explained what the achievement means for North Salem.

“State Championships do more in a community than put a trophy in a case and a banner in the gymnasium,” said Kiernan. “Winning a state championship changes perceptions outside of the walls within the school. It brings pride to the community that will last for a lifetime. It is about the journey that allows each student-athlete to learn about the process and what it takes to be a champion.”

Coach Hendrie

Offering final thoughts on the momentous achievement was Coach Ron Hendrie, who had previously brought state titles to North Salem in 1993 and 2016 and also notched his 400th career win this season.

“Winning states doesn’t get old,” Hendrie mused. “This year was just as thrilling as ever. When a state championship looked like it might be possible, it had crossed my mind that I might not be as excited due to having won it twice before. As such, I made a mental note to remember that it would be the boys’ first time experiencing this and that I needed to be excited for them. That turned out to be an unnecessary concern because it genuinely was just as exciting as the others... but in its own way. Our team had our own unique journey. We had our own unique alchemy and idiosyncrasies. We had our own weaknesses to overcome, but we also had our own unique set of attributes and skill sets. Nonetheless, I truly wanted these fantastic young men to get to experience what they’ve repeatedly heard me speak about.”

“When a special team like this achieves something of this magnitude, there are countless people and organizations that deserve some degree of credit,” Hendrie continued. “It is impossible to do this without the support of a wonderful community. Their parents, the Booster Club, North Salem Soccer Club, our Athletic Director’s office, our administration, our Board of Education, our groundskeepers, the North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Croton Falls Fire Department, and the North Salem Police Department all played significant roles in our journey to success. There are several individuals who have also earned special credit. Our Athletic Trainer, Mr. Imhof played a tremendous role in keeping the boys game ready and performing at their best, as did our wonderful school nurse, Rita Driscoll. Additionally, two former North Salem varsity soccer players - John and Thomas Martabano, as well as Mr. Maya, kept the boys playing soccer in the Ossining Summer league and running some preseason sessions to get the boys fit. John, in particular, inspired them because he was a captain of our 2016 state championship team. Similarly, a big shout out to both Nick and George Naber for organizing the guys to join the summer league. It makes a world of difference when the boys show up with a bit of fitness and their touch is still there. This allows us to pick up where we left off last season rather than spending the first few weeks getting the rust off. Moreover, it goes without saying that my assistant and JV coach, Mike Valenti, spent a couple seasons preparing these guys and instilling good habits before they got to me. Our Athletic Director, Ms. Kiernan, worked very hard behind the scenes for us handling all of the logistics. Good team chemistry is not only cultivated on the field, it also grows at team dinners and such. So, all of the families that hosted team dinners deserve a lot of credit too.”

Forever Tigers 

And so, the journey that began with a disappointing playoff loss a year ago ended with the ultimate celebration. The Tigers walked off the field at Middletown High School as champions, returning to North Salem with a hero’s welcome. 

The squad will bid farewell to seniors Dillon Coughlan, Brendon Marku, John Gogo, Justin Major, Nicholas Naber, Ryan Vorfi, Jack Newman, Rolando Cortez, and George Naber. 

Coach Hendrie and their remaining teammates will now look to the future as they prepare to defend their championship next year. But for now, there is nothing left to do but celebrate. 

The 2024 North Salem boys soccer team has taken their place in history. Champions all. Tigers forever. 

North Salem News would like to offer a special thanks to Coach Ron Hendrie, Athletic Director Denise Kiernan, Kat Meehan, and the North Salem Booster Club for their assistance in covering the team this season.