The boys soccer team has been anxiously waiting for a chance to return to the County Playoffs after falling short in the semifinal matchup in 2019 and winning the Long Island title in 2018.  The squad had to wait a few extra months to begin their year, which normally starts in the fall.  However, energized by new head coach Stephan Brossard, the team took down Hempstead in their home opener March 30, winning 2-1.  One of our school’s most successful athletic programs, the soccer team looks to return to glory this year in their shortened season. 

Along with the many changes presented by COVID-19, the boys have had to face many changes in the team’s leadership.  Perhaps the most important of these changes was the change in coaching.  Former Coach Don Fish stepped down as the varsity head coach in July, after 13 years of coaching, 10 as the head coach and  three as an assistant coach.  Fish was a phenomenal coach, and was certainly a winner—he took the soccer team to the playoffs eight times in his ten years as head coach.  The two-time Conference Coach of the Year handed the duties off to the varsity assistant coach Stephan Brossard, a Schreiber graduate himself.  Brossard, a former Division 1 soccer player at Marist College, was promoted to the head coaching job after five years as an assistant.  Junior Varsity coach Kenneth DiDonna, a Weber Science teacher, took over the assistant position.  

With such major changes to the coaching staff, losing a step would be expected.  However, Coach Brossard has flourished as a coach early on, and has gained the support of many of his players. 

“Coach Brossard has us working hard, and working as a team.  He makes sure that we stay disciplined and focused whenever we are on the field, which is key to our success.  Coach Brossard is not new to this, and he has helped lead the Vikings to championships in the past alongside Coach Fish.  As a head coach, his leadership has made us all better players, and given us the opportunity to make a run for the title,” said junior Benjamin Schiff

Another important factor into the soccer team’s success is the captains.  These Schreiber student-athletes must act as mentors for their teammates off the field, and be the best players on it.  This year’s captains are Jason Viniciguerra, Luke Vinciguerra, Daniel Kates, and Andrew Schiani.  Schiani, a talented defender, was listed as one of the top 100 soccer players on Long Island by Newsday this March, proving his irreplaceable status.  All of these captains have been a part of the program for years, and have experienced many highs and lows, which prepared them to be better  mentors for the younger players.  Schiani, Kates, and the Vinciguerra brothers must be leaders in order for the boys to make a run for the championship this year. 

The final, and possibly the most crucial contributor to a great season for this year’s team will have to be the drive and determination of the players.  Each player will have lofty goals for themselves, but they all will have to put these aspirations to the side in order to win a championship as a team.  The boys have set such a high standard of achievement, one they hope to fulfill.  

“We all agree that it’s our biggest goal to bring the county championship back home to Schreiber.  We’re very motivated this year coming off of a tough ending in last year’s playoffs.  We have become a family very quickly and are looking forward to the rest of the season,” said sophomore Ben Stein. 

Stein’s words sum up the general mood across the team—they are ready to win.  The boys, led by a strong coaching staff and experienced captains, are set up to bring home multiple trophies this year.  Now, it is a matter of execution: will the Schreiber Boys’ Soccer team be able to bring home all the glory this year?  They certainly will have a great chance to do so, and we’ll all be watching as they vie for a return to the Long Island Championship.