Mattituck boys finding their feet in summer league

Mattituck High School won’t start its school year until Sept. 2, but lessons have been learned by several newcomers on the boys soccer team over the past several weeks. They are getting acclimated to the intensity of varsity play in the Town of Brookhaven Summer Soccer League.

After competing on the junior varsity, twin brothers Kyle and Eric Petrowski are among four freshman who are learning how different and challenging the game is at a higher level.

“It’s been more challenging and more physical, but it’s been fun,” Kyle, a midfielder, said after the Tuckers lost to Kings Park, 5-0, at Diamond in the Pines in Coram on Monday evening.

The learning curve can be steep, but it can go a long way. The speed of the game also was an eye-opener. “The ball has been moving faster with everybody,” said Eric, a goalkeeper, adding that opponents “keep running as fast as they can.”

Added Kyle: “I’ve learned about moving the ball faster and getting better touches. You need a good touch to get around the players. I was expecting it to be fast, but not as fast.”

Eric, who performs for the North Fork United Under-15 club team with his brother, replaced junior Jayson Lopez for the second half. He played for the next 20 minutes, surrendering three goals.

He said getting an opportunity to play was “a pretty big deal.”

Mattituck head coach Dan O’Sullivan has been encouraged from what he has seen.

“I’ve been very proud of them,” he said. “They were eighth graders that played on JV last year with Alex Palencia, who’s here as well. They were younger guys who took their lumps and bruises early on in the year, but they grew in competition. I wanted to give them an opportunity of seeing the next step.”

This summer, Eric is the No. 3 keeper behind junior Cris Cuellar and Lopez.

“We said to him, ‘Just build your confidence,'” he said. “That’s why we don’t start him or give him a full half. We’re easing him in. We give him 15 to 20 minutes here, 10 to 15 minutes there, just so that he feels comfortable and confident.”

Mattituck, which has the smallest school population in the summer league, is one of two Class B teams Center Moriches is the other. Regardless of where the Tuckers finish, they will compete in the playoffs, which begin Wednesday, July 30. They won their opening three matches but have dropped their last four.

Kings Park (5-2) is a Class A powerhouse. The Knights captured the 2023 county title and lost to John Glenn, 4-3, in last year’s final. O’Sullivan watched that game.

“I knew that they were going to come in hungry, ready to go,” he said. “Will [Hayes, assistant coach,] said it perfectly. He said that that’s a team that everybody knows their role. We’re still just trying guys in different spots.”

Matthew Hofmayer paced Kings Park with a hat trick. Massimo Rosamilia and Christopher Smalley also scored.

The Tuckers were not at full strength. Sophomore forward Connor Searl, expected to be a top scoring threat, and Cuellar did not play. Cuellar was competing in a tournament with his club team.

Coaches don’t always know who is going to show up. No one is required to play. Summertime means family vacations, jobs and other commitments. “It’s the fun of the of the summer that I never roll the dice,” O’Sullivan said. “I put a post up the day before, and a poll up and [see] who can attend. Sometimes I’ll get 15 responses. Today, I think there were 18 here, and I had 13 responses. It’s just a matter of who and when.”

Last week, 13 players showed up for two games.

“We’re piecemealing and mixing and matching when it’s not our full complement,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s a really good opportunity for these younger guys, and some of them are really taking it in stride … They’re center-mids on their club teams, and they’re playing outside back or outside midfield.”

Kyle performed at left midfield on Monday night. In previous games, he played at striker and center midfield. It didn’t matter where he played.

“It’s just great to be on the field, getting some playing time,” he said.

Which is what this summer league is all about.