LAKE PLACID - New head coach Jon Fremante said putting the ball in the net hasn't been a strength of the Lake Placid boys soccer team during recent seasons. He's hoping to see that be a thing of the past when the Blue Bombers compete as a Division II team in the Northern Soccer League.
The junior-laden Blue Bombers will play a 13-game schedule that includes a mix of old foes from the Champlain Valley and Mountain and Valley athletic conferences, starting Friday, Sept. 9 on the road at Elizabethtown-Lewis. Lake Placid will play each Division II opponent twice this season, and in addition to the Lions, league foes are Northern Adirondack and Seton Catholic from the CVAC and MVAC teams Willsboro, Westport and Chazy, a Class D powerhouse that's a perennial contender for state championships.
Come playoff time, Lake Placid will be battling it out in Class C.
Article Photos
Lake Placid’s 19-player roster features 13 underclassmen.
(Enterprise photo — Mike Lynch)
Fourteen players return for another varsity campaign on Lake Placid's 19-player roster, including seven juniors and five Blue Bombers who are back for their final season as seniors. With experience in the lineup, and a shift to a division schedule that will see the Blue Bombers play more similarly sized schools, Fremante is optimistic that it could be a successful year for Lake Placid soccer.
"In the past, Lake Placid was playing the bigger schools that were cutting more kids than we have on our team," Fremante said. "I think the new schedule should benefit us. We'll be playing schools our size.
"We have a lot of kids back," Fremante added. "I think our strengths will be good ball control and speed up front, and we have speed on defense. We also have two goalkeepers this year, which provides us some options."
Fact Box
Roster
Seniors
Devin Kelley
Alex Kulina
Daryl Brier
Adam Antonucci
JP Morrison
Nick Reid
Juniors
Ed Kane
Keegan Barney
Tyler Willis
Hunter Wilson
Haile Thompson
Mario Gonzalez
Kyle Shipman
Billy Bellos
Ryan Meyer
Justin Stosiek
Cody Porter
Sophomores
Elias Smith
Andrew Meister
Perhaps the biggest hit Lake Placid took from graduation was the loss of goalie Anthony Kordziel, a position Daryl Brier and Ed Kane will fill, with Brier, a senior, getting the starting nod.
In addition to Brier, seniors back on the squad are Alex Kulina, Devin Kelley, Adam Antonucci and JP Morrison. Kane returns as a junior along with Keegan Barney, Tyler Willis, Hunter Wilson, Haile Thompson, Mario Gonzalez and Kyle Shipman.
Sophomores back for their second varsity season are Elias Smith and Andrew Meister. Newcomers include juniors Billy Bellos, Ryan Meyer, Justin Stosiek and Cody Porter, and senior Nick Reid.
Fremante said a trio of juniors - Barney, Thompson and Wilson - should be big factors on offense this season. Scoring goals, as well as playing team soccer are objectives for the Blue Bombers this fall.
"Finishing has always been a weakness at Lake Placid," Fremante said. "We're working hard on putting the ball in the net with accuracy instead of power. Our goal is to play good team soccer, score some goals and win some games. We want to provide some good quality soccer for the people in Lake Placid. We're really looking forward to getting the season started."