Belleville HS boys soccer team has strong promise this season

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Despite losing four key returning players to a Major League Soccer academy, the Belleville High School boys soccer team boasts a few young players who show much promise, as the Buccaneers look to build off a strong 15-6-1 campaign last fall.

Leading the Buccaneers will be sophomore center midfielder Leo Vergara and junior utility player Kevin Escobar.

Vergara will be the focal point of the offense and the main facilitator on the ball, said second-year head coach Joseph Pontoriero. “He has a very bright future.”

Meanwhile, Escobar “showed some great potential for us off the bench last year and this year is going to be leaned on a lot as a utility player where we need him,” Pontoriero said.

Junior goalie Nicolas Cooper is coming off an impressive season.

“Nick was great last year and kept us in a lot of games. He will be returning this year as our captain and leader on the team,” Pontoriero said.

Sebastian Sierra is a senior returning striker. With his speed and aggressiveness on the ball, he will have the task of controlling the team’s final third of the field, Pontoriero said.

The Bucs also welcome back junior Alex Pesantes, who missed last season with an ACL injury. “We are glad to have him back as our stopper/center defensive midfielder to help keep our shape,” Pontoriero said.

The Bucs also are excited about freshman Javier Guaman. “Javier had a very impressive camp, standing out amongst a very strong group of freshmen. He will work in the midfield, making an immediate impact for our team,” Pontoriero said.

The strength of the team is its overall youth and commitment.

“We have a great group of young guys who have been working really hard in camp to stand out. I am excited to watch these boys develop and become the future of Belleville Soccer,” Pontoriero said.

Having a patient approach will be the key to achieving another successful season.

“Our goals for the season are simple: take it one game at a time,” Pontoriero said. “As long as we are improving every day, it will be a successful year. We are looking to compete in the Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division and fight for a division title. Of course, we would love to make the state tournament again. We would love to beat our rivals, Nutley and Bloomfield, and be a team that other teams are scared to play.”

Last season, the 14th-seeded Buccaneers went 1-1 in the Essex County Tournament, defeating Cedar Grove, 2-0, before dropping a tough 2-0 to third-seeded and highly regarded West Orange in the round of 16. The eighth-seeded Bucs also went 1-1 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament, beating No. 9 seed Union City, 2-1, on kicks from the penalty mark, before losing at No. 1 seed Ridgewood, 4-2, in the quarterfinal round.

The Bucs will begin the season Sept. 2 at home.

The following is their schedule: