KATONAH, N.Y. - As the new year gets underway, both varsity soccer squads at The Harvey School look to make moves on the field this season.
The 2024 Harvey girls varsity soccer team should be right in the thick of things come playoff time in November after proving to be an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with last season. The Cavaliers, although just 6-12 overall and 4-9 against league rivals in 2023, were a stellar defensive squad who advanced to the semifinals of the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) before losing to eventual league champion Williams School.
While there will be many familiar faces returning to play this season, the coaching staff is brand new as Dylan McDonough takes over the reins as head coach with Shannon Horan serving as his second in command.
Coach McDonough is impressed with the level of talent he has seen in preseason practices. The new head coach is pleased to have a roster filled with a significant number of battle-tested returnees who have worked hard to prepare for the upcoming season. “There are a lot of returners, so we can build on the relationships we formed last year and get even better,” Coach McDonough said. The coach believes the hard work the entire team has put into the preseason will bode well for success when the games get underway.
The group of returners features a star-studded core. Two juniors, forward Mikayla Neave and midfielder Amani Carty, HVAL All-League and Western New England Prep School Soccer Association (WNEPSSA) All-Star selections in 2023, look to build on their success last season. Neave was a dynamo on offense, leading the Cavaliers in scoring. Carty made excellent offensive contributions last year from the center mid position, producing many counterattacks that gave her and her teammates good opportunities to score.
Coach McDonough is also expecting big things this fall from two seniors who shined last year, goalie Emily Lehrburger and midfielder Sasha Nannizzi. They were both named WNEPSSA Junior All-Stars. Other key returners are two juniors, defender Sophia Collum and forward Mollie Weisberger, and three sophomores, defender Zoe Seltzer, forward Rylan Gilligan, and midfielder Mallon Gilligan.
Coach McDonough is also pleased to welcome some newcomers, in particular, ninth graders Izzy Doran and Vivienne Stoller. The coach expects Doran and Stoller to play midfield. “They are two girls who have shown great skills and work effort during preseason,” Coach McDonough said, adding, “They are young and will continue to get better as we go on with the season.”
Teams that look to be tough opponents this year are the HVAL reigning champions from Williams School and Forman School.
Coach McDonough can’t wait to get the games underway. “I’m very excited to get the season started. I think we will come out strong and get even better as the season goes on. We have an exciting schedule for the girls and it will test them.”
The Harvey girls start the season Tuesday, Sept. 10 on the road in Stamford against King School.
BOYS SOCCER
As Harvey’s varsity boys 2024 soccer season gets underway, head coach Alex Morse, starting his 21st year at the helm, has a good feeling about the team’s offense but feels the jury is out on the defense … at least until the Cavaliers get the first few games under their belts.
It’s been three gut-wrenching ends of seasons in a row for the Cavs who have had to endure falling to Wooster in three straight championship games. At 6-3-1, Harvey entered the HVAL playoffs last fall as the No. 2 seed and finished once again as the tournament runner-up.
Coach Morse enters this season hoping this year’s squad can see the end of the reign of the Generals as Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) champions.
Along with his assistants Simon Leibovic, Tucker Keisling, and Connor Welles, Coach Morse knows the team has a solid core of players on offense led by returning junior Patrick Cuneo As a sophomore last season, Cuneo had a team-high 34 goals, establishing a new school record for most goals scored. Cuneo’s stellar season earned him selections as HVAL All-League, All-NEPSAC, and as a Western New England All-Star. Also returning is senior Jonah Kass, the team’s outstanding HVAL All-League goalie who was shifted to offense late in the season to fill a void on offense. “The returning captain and a three-year starter, Jonah will play any position on the field that is needed, including goalkeeper if needed,” said Coach Morse. Adding to the offensive punch will be newcomer, junior Jack Muns. “Jack is a highly skilled player with excellent touch and dribbling skills,” said Coach Morse, adding, “He should be an excellent playmaker.”
Coach Morse is pleased to have senior captain Ryan Byrne return. “The only returning starting fullback from last year’s team, Byrne will help anchor the center of the defense,” the coach said. Also being counted on is junior captain Evan Vasile, a midfielder and back. Fellow junior Thomas Schiwek is expected to have a big impact, winning balls in the midfield and creating fast breaks.
Newcomer Jake Acosta, a sophomore, should see some action as a forward and a midfielder. Coach Morse said Acosta is an “excellent athlete who will learn on the fly.”
When Coach Morse sizes up the competition, he sees Wooster once again as the team to beat in the HVAL. The coach also expects the Fairchester Athletic Association teams tol be formidable.
The loss of a number of seniors to graduation last June opened up some holes that need to be filled by those on the current roster and left some unanswered questions for Coach Morse. “The Cavs should sport a solid offensive team this fall, but the real question is how will they defend as a team and who will step as a varsity starter,” he said.
The season got underway on Friday, Sept. 6, at St. Luke’s in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Article courtesy of The Harvey School.
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