WESTCHESTER, N.Y. - After two years as an assistant coach, Ryan Langkafel enters his second season as head coach of the Brewster/Yorktown/Somers/North Salem (BYSNS) Bisons with high expectations.
Last season, the No. 8-seeded Bisons upset No. 9 Scarsdale 5-2 in the opening round of the Section 1 Division 1 Tournament before falling 4-3 in overtime to top-seed and eventual state champion Suffern.
“Reaching the quarterfinals of the section tournament last year was great, but we are hungry for more,” Langkafel said. “We were never trailing to Suffern in that quarterfinal game… now that we have that experience under our belt, we are ready to take that next step in big games.”
Key returnees include senior Lucas Salvatore of North Salem, a standout offensive and defensive player, who Langkafel called “incredibly reliable… his hockey IQ is brilliant, and he can read the game at an extremely high level.”
Defenseman Jordan Millar of Somers brings both defensive strength and powerplay ability, while Brewster senior James Munoz provides speed and scoring versatility. “James is a reliable and experienced four-year varsity starter that we will lean on in all moments,” Langkafel said.
The Bisons have made a strong start to the new season, winning their first two games.
On Dec. 5, BYSNS defeated Byram Hills 5-4, with Munoz scoring four goals and Rilind Berisha adding the decisive fifth. “Berisha’s goal came about when we were on the power play… eventually we won the game and that’s all that matters,” said Ryan Dean, who assisted on the goal.
Two days later, BYSNS overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat the Cortlandt Rebels 4-3.
Goals came from James Munoz, Henry Rossi, Zyggi Nemzer, and Paul Rienzi.
Langkafel praised the team’s effort, saying, “Early in the season every team is confident… our team did a great job, especially in the second and third periods, creating intensity and momentum within ourselves.”
With strong senior leadership and contributions from younger players, BYSNS aims to maintain momentum. “Winning the first two games to open the season is huge to get the year underway… we are excited to bring that with us into our next game,” Langkafel said.
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