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Updated: 10/2/2008 - 4:07 AM



Difficult road lies ahead for Monarchs
Boys' soccer team drops its first four games
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News-Review photo by Barbaraellen Koch Smithtown Christian's Max McDonough, left, and Bishop McGann-Mercy's Peter Harbes both sought to head the same ball during Smithtown Christian's 7-1 win last Thursday.
Robert Stoutenburg knows it will take time. It will not come overnight. The only way his Bishop McGann-Mercy High School boys' soccer team can build is by one small step, one player at a time. It is an arduous and often frustrating process, but Stoutenburg is helping the young Monarchs start to take those baby steps in the right direction.

There are often bumps in the road in this kind of journey, such as the Monarchs experienced in losses to the Smithtown Christian Crusaders, 7-1, last Thursday and to the Greenport Porters, 3-1, on Friday. But there were also a few bright spots in the play of Luis Gudiel, Jamie Heimroth and Doug Borge that shows Stoutenburg flashes of hope that his team is beginning to understand what it will take to ultimately be successful.

"We do what we can," said Stoutenburg, whose team is in its second varsity season. "Our biggest problem is that some of these kids on our team have never played soccer before."

Of the 23 players on the team, Stoutenburg said three-quarters of them are inexperienced. Many of them are eighth- and ninth-graders.

Gudiel's first half goal against Smithtown Christian kept McGann-Mercy within striking distance at 3-1 by halftime. Smithtown Christian scored four unanswered goals in the second half. Roger Young, the Monarchs' goalkeeper, recorded five saves.

The next day in Greenport, Gudiel's first-half goal gave McGann-Mercy a 1-0 lead. But second-half goals by Orlando Lopez, Alex Gaitan and Michael Reed lifted the Porters to the come from behind win. Matt Miller made four stops in goal for Greenport.

Stoutenburg said Gudiel has worked hard to improve. "He practiced kicking the ball with his left foot, then his right foot against the wall," Stoutenburg said. "When he picks up the ball at midfield, he takes it and goes towards the goal."

Heimroth and Borge, both seniors, have added some stability this season. "Jamie is our best player on the team," Stoutenburg said. "He knows how to play the game and he plays with so much heart."

Stoutenburg called Borge "a solid defenseman."

Still, it is difficult for the Monarchs (0-4 overall and in Suffolk County League VIII), who went 3-10-1 last year, to compete against more experienced competition.

"Last year we had five guys that could play and two graduated," Stoutenburg said. "This year we are so young. We have to fight so hard to win a game. It is impossible."

So, Stoutenburg said, "We do what we can do."

With no junior high school or junior varsity program to act as a feeder system, Stoutenburg has scaled down the expectations.

"The varsity is all we have," Stoutenburg said. "Our goal is not to be losing by scores of 7-1 or 8-0. We want to try and bring some consistency to every game. If we can keep the scores at 2-1 or 3-1, we will be making progress."

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Results from last week:
"What would you like to see on the south side of East Main Street in downtown Riverhead?"

22 % A town square with a park, fountain and small shops, though taxpayers would have to foot most all of the bill for condemnation, demolition and construction.
25 % A mixed-use workforce housing and retail complex with some green space on the river, with developers paying for much of the project, but the town having to condemn the vacant buildings there.
35 % Indoor markets and other shops in the existing building stock, which won't cost taxpayers a thing, but may not be as pretty as redevelopment.
17 % I'm rooting for redevelopment, but the town should not be involved at all.
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