In 2018, the Union City High School boys’ soccer team finally attained what was always thought to be an absolute rite of passage – namely a Hudson County championship.
When perennial soccer powers Emerson and Union Hill merged to form Union City High 10 years earlier, it was just generally assumed that Union City would totally dominate come soccer season.
But that was not necessarily the case.
However, two years ago, all of the planets aligned, and the pieces were all in place. Led by super scorer Erick Chicas, the Soaring Eagles defeated usual favorites St. Peter’s Prep in the semifinals and Harrison in the finals to win the Hudson County Soccer Tournament championship.
Well, a lot has changed with the Soaring Eagles’ program in the last two years. They won just 10 games last year, struggling to find the net without a player like Chicas, who knocked in 33 the year before.
The Soaring Eagles also had a new coach, with the architect of the unified program, Bill Shapiro, stepping down to spend more time with his young family.
Shapiro’s assistant, Mario Amaya, was promoted to take over the Soaring Eagles last season. The year didn’t exactly go according to plan.
“We struggled because we were so young,” Amaya said. “We lost a lot of players to graduation and injury, so we had to go with a lot of JV [junior varsity] players. They got to play the whole season and gained a lot of confidence.”
So when the 2020 finally began – albeit an abbreviated version of a season – the Soaring Eagles were collectively ready.
“They’re hungry,” Amaya said. “They’re a young, talented team. The confidence they have is refreshing. It’s all worked out. We’re continuing the same philosophy and tradition that Coach Shapiro started. We want to be aggressive and set the tone. We want to be the one taking the shots. It’s all about having a passion for the game and these kids have it.”
The Soaring Eagles have started the new season with a sense of confidence and the swagger and sway of a champion. They proved that last Tuesday when they upset No. 14-ranked Kearny, 2-1, in a well played crisp contest at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus.
With the win, the Soaring Eagles improved to 5-0 and have a one-game lead in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League standings. The Soaring Eagles have also outscored their five opponents by a collective score of 26-2.
The Soaring Eagles prepared for the showdown with Kearny by defeating Dickinson, 3-1, handing the Rams their first and only loss of the young season. Incredibly, one statewide poll had the Rams listed ahead of the Soaring Eagles – even after the Soaring Eagles had won the head-to-head matchup.
“I think playing Dickinson first was definitely a blessing,” Amaya said. “We needed to have a tough game before we played Kearny. We showed a lot of grit and determination in that game. We had to play from behind. I wanted our kids to face a few challenges. Coming from behind helps to build character and confidence and we needed it before we faced a team like Kearny.”
The Soaring Eagles didn’t play like an underdog. They were the aggressors from the outset and after a scoreless first half, they came from behind to earn the impressive victory on goals from a pair of super subs in senior Juanes Ramos and freshman Christopher Castro.
And then there was the play of senior goalkeeper Josue Pichardo, who collected an astounding 26 saves in net. Amaya said that Pichardo was the “player of the game.” He might have been the player of the decade. Twenty-six saves? That’s more than a week’s work, never mind one game. Pichardo made at least four diving stops in the first half that were of highlight variety, singlehandedly keeping the Soaring Eagles in the game.
“I can’t say enough about Josh,” Amaya said of his brilliant net minder. “He really keeps us in games. He does a great job as a leader and a captain for us.”
The Soaring Eagles’ backline features senior Yorlly Villagomez as one of the team’s center backs. Villagomez missed all of last season with an injury.
Junior Mauricio Flores is another center defender. Flores started as a freshman on the county championship team two years ago.
“I consider him to be our best player,” Amaya said.
Sophomore Jean Paul Pelaez is another player who sees time with the center backs.
“He gives the other guys a breather,” Amaya said.
Senior Leobardo Guillermo and junior David Meneses are the other defenders.
Senior Jorge Lawrence is the center midfielder.
“He’s talented with both feet,” Amaya said. “You give him the smallest window and he goes through it.”
Junior Jacobo Espinosa is another midfielder and Lawrence’s best friend.
“Espinosa works well with Lawrence,” Amaya said. “They feed off each other. They have almost an unspoken connection.”
Junior Jonathan Caballero is a talented and vital midfielder.
“He’s the engine who makes us go,” Amaya said. “He’s a really good player.”
Seniors Maverick Benitez may own the best name in Hudson County high school soccer. He sees time in the midfield off the bench along with Frank Menjivar, who currently leads the team with four goals.
The forwards are senior Brendan Loha, junior Iker Vivanco and the aforementioned Castro, who according to Amaya “is the real thing and one to watch.”
Senior Steve Gomez is a solid reserve at either defender or the midfield.
So the Soaring Eagles are the real deal once again. Right now, they are the team to beat. Being the lone undefeated team in Hudson County gives that team the kind of distinction.
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com, follow Jim on Twitter @ogsmar and listen to the Hudson County Sports Podcast, brought to you weekly by Stan’s Sports Center, 528 Washington Street in Hoboken, on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to this week’s guest, namely Hudson Catholic athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach Nick Mariniello.
