Blue Devil Soccer Gives Fans Season to Remember
November 7, 2023
Lizama. Gutierrez. Contreras. Salgado. Marroquin. Hayden. These are some of the names that will be etched in Blue Devil history after propelling the Huntington boys’ soccer team to 15 wins and a trip to the Suffolk County Class AA finals. These teenagers gave fans a season to remember.
The Blue Devils went 13-1-1 in league play; 15-3-1 overall. The 15 wins are tied for the most victories ever in a single season for a Huntington boys’ soccer team.
Coached by John Pagano and Jason Suarez, the 30 player team was filled with exceptional competitors. The Blue Devils were finally stopped by Smithtown West in the county championship game, 2-0. The Bulls went on to win the Long Island crown a few days later.
“It was an incredible season,” said Pagano, who notched his 200th victory as head coach early in the year. “We grew as a team since August and once again got to the finals.”
It was Huntington’s second trip in three years to the Suffolk finals. The last Blue Devil boys’ soccer county title came in 1964. But while this team fell just a whisker short, it will long be remembered for its cohesiveness and will to win.
Gutierrez led Huntington with 15 goals and eight assists and Lizama added eight goals and nine assists. Goalies Dylan Hayden and Nicholas Plachta recorded five shutouts each.
Lizama was named the Suffolk League V Player of the Year along with claiming All-Conference and All-County honors. “Bryan is one of the finest captains that we have had,” Pagano said. “To watch him prosper as a player and as a young man has been special.”
Gutierrez led all players in Suffolk Class AA in scoring. He was also named All-Conference and All-County. “Carlos was dangerous in every game and scored several huge goals,” Pagano said.
Jason Contreras was tapped for the All-Conference team. Jonathan Morales, Edwin Marroquin and Dante Salgado were all named All-League.
The coaching staff of Pagano, Suarez and JV coach Jose Alfaro captured Coach of the Year honors.
Lizama, Contreras, Marroquin and Salgado captained the team and gave it leadership on and off the field that was second to none.
With 15 seniors headed toward graduation and with only four starting players returning, Pagano and his assistants have their work cut out for them. But Huntington has been in this position before and the coaches were able to rapidly retool the roster and put a new winning team on the field. It isn’t doing it and it requires plenty of hard work, but the Blue Devils seem determined to remain one of New York’s premier programs.
