Bears Improved Team Chemistry over 8-8-2 Season

BREWSTER—The Brewster High boys soccer team continued to show improvement, and showed some good signs during a fall season that saw the Bears go 8-8-2 and reach the playoffs.

Brian Emery Skip Emery Skip PearlmanRyan Brewster defeated Peekskill, 5-2, in a Class A out-bracket game, then fell to Lakeland, 1-0, in the first round of the tournament.

“It was a step in the right direction for the program,” Bears first-year coach Scott Potusek said. “We’re trying to turn it into a real program, and I think we did well coming together as a team – something they weren’t able to do previously. The high point, I think, was the way the kids interacted, and they way they came together as a team. They played as a team – especially in our last game – they really left it all on the field.”

Four Bears took home post-season honors.

Senior team captain and midfielder Alex Minsker led Brewster in assists, and was second in goals, and was named to the All-Section 1 team. Ryan Williams led the Bears in goals, and the senior forward earned All-Section Honorable Mention honors. Senior captain and center defender Brian Emery and senior center defender Marc Delzio were named All-League.

PearlmanRyan Williams Skip Williams Skip Pearlman “Minsker is a good leader, unselfish, and he put himself in a good position to help the team,” Potusek said. He had a good season. “Williams also had a good year, he got touches on the ball and usually finished a cross, and Emery and Delzio are both real hustlers on defense, and both had a very good season.”

Potusek also praised the work ethic of senior captain and midfielder Temo Cazarez. “He has a really big heart for the game, and was a real good influence on the team as far as drive to play. He was hurt for much of the season.”

Alex Minsker Skip Minsker Skip Pearlman The Bears graduate eight starters, but Potusek believes he has the personnel to be competitive again next fall.

“I think we’ll have some good JV players up,” he said. “And we have some returning players who will be good for us. We lose three starting defenders, but I think we have some good players who can fill in. I think if we put in the work during the off season we should do well.”