The Fort Lee Bridgemen soccer team lost nine seniors from last year’s squad but will be looking to rebuild quickly and make a run at the state and county tournaments this season.
The team does return some scoring firepower in seniors Nikola Gogic and “Yu Yu” Fahmy, along with junior Matthew Hernandez. Head coach Bob Ciccone knows that the team will have to figure some things out on the defensive end.
"Hopefully the midfield will be the strongest part because we return everybody there," Ciccone said. "Hopefully the goalkeeping will be very solid. Big question marks will be replacing our whole defense."
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The team has been practicing hard over the summer, and they are ready to take the field on Saturday, Sept. 10, when they open the season at home against Bergenfield. The team has some lofty goals heading into the season.
"We’ve been working hard all summer so we really want to win a league title and get a state playoff berth and county playoff berth,” said senior forward and midfielder “Yu Yu” Fahmy.
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There are some very important games during the first and second weeks of the season, including matchups against rival Cliffisde Park, Bergenfield, Ridgefield Park and Dumont. Gogic feels that the team has a nice balance of power.
"I think we’re evenly distributed," he said.
Although the team lost a good chunk of their defense, they still have senior leadership and the drive and hunger to surprise some of their critics by improving on their 7-8-1 record from last season.
Goalkeeping, team chemistry and the offensive and defensive sides of the ball will be key for the Bridgemen, who are looking to get off to a good start when the season kicks off on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Fort Lee High School.
Least Year at a Glance
The Bridgemen soccer team finished last season 7-8-1 and finished in third place in their league behind Cliffside Park and Westwood. The team is aiming to win more matches this season and will have to rely heavily on the offensive side of the ball, along with excellent goalkeeping.
