Boys soccer team wins opener, 1-0

Noah Christian scored the game’s only goal in the second half to lift the West Milford High School boys soccer team to a 1-0 season-opening victory over Hawthorne at home Saturday afternoon, Sept. 7.

Dominic Lenoir and Donovan Ford each made one save to combine for the shutout.

West Milford is scheduled to play at Jefferson at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14.

Head coach Ray Ferriola has some lofty goals for the team, which compiled a 5-12-1 record last year.

“We’d like to make the state tournament this year as well as challenge in a very tough Big North Conference Independence Division,’’ he said.

Returning players include senior Landon MacKenzie (captain, midfield), Brayden Primavera (defense) and Cole Stillman (forward) and juniors Noah Christian (captain, defense), Nick Bognar (midfield), Julian Pierre (defense), Kevin Docwra (defense), Danny Bauer (midfield), Dominic Lenoir (goal keeper) and Donovan Ford (goal keeper).

“Senior captain Lorenzo Andrade will miss the first six weeks of the season recovering from ankle surgery,’’ Ferriola said. Kyle Gloria, a senior midfield, also is out with an injury.

MacKenzie, Andrade and Christian will lead a determined team this year.

“Landon and Lorenzo are four-year varsity players. Lorenzo is the vocal leader of the team, Landon leads by example, and Noah is the coach on the field - the strongest leadership group I’ve had in my 11 years coaching West Milford,” Ferriola said.

Newcomers include senior Tyler Liguori (defense), junior Will Dent (forward), and sophomores Iron Pinedo (midfield), Chris Orsino (midfield) and Jacob Freire (midfield).

West Milford plays in the Independence Division with Lakeland, Fair Lawn, Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley and Passaic Valley.

“I believe we will be very competitive in the Big North Independence Division this year,’’ the coach said. “We are returning 11 quality players and have a good group coming up from a JV team that was 14-1 last season. We have a very strong junior class and three sophomores who will contribute as well as good senior leadership.

“All of the teams are tough in this division. Wayne Hills returns three First Team and two Second Team All-League players, but Wayne Valley, Lakeland, Fair Lawn and Passaic Valley always field good competitive teams.’’