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DRYDEN PURPLE LIONS
Coach: Laszlo Engel, 13th year
10-4-1 IAC, 11-5-1 overall in 2011
Dryden lost five seniors, but returns 20 players, 10 of which
played starting roles during the 2011 season. The Purple Lions have a
total of 24 players, 15 of them juniors.
“We are still a young team, but more experienced,” said Engel.
“These guys have a good work ethic and are working very hard. They have
been a fun bunch to work with in the preseason.
“What is nice is that we spent a lot of last year working on
fundamentals,” he continued. “This year, we are able to work more on the
tactical side of the game. We are certainly starting off better than
last year, but there is still room for improvement.”
Heading the list of returnees are seniors Greg Nostrand (central
midfield), Randy Bushnell (central back), John Czapranski (outside
midfield) and Jacob Soroka (outside midfield-back). The first three are
entering their third year of varsity play and were starters one year
ago. Nostrand, a first-team all-star in 2011, and Bushnell are two of
the team captains this fall.
Heading the 14 returning juniors are third-year players and team
captains Michael Harvey (outside forward) and Jonathan Becker
(defender-midfield). They are joined by classmates Ross Cole (outside
defender), Ryan Prunty (outside midfielder), Joe DeLucia ( outside
defender), John Whitmore (outside midfielder), Ben Lewis (central
midfielder), Levi Crognale (outside defender), Sean Iannello
(defender-midfield), Pericles Hayes (defender), Jacob Czapranski (attack
midfielder), Josh Hutchinson (outside midfielder), Haile Cutter
(goalkeeper) and Daniel Fuller (midfielder-defender). Cole, Harvey,
Whitmore, Becker, Hayes, Czapranski and Cutter were 2011 starters.
Becker was another all-star in 2011.
Rounding out the returnees are sophomore Tim Lewis (central midfielder-forward) and Gabriel Guisado (forward).
The four new faces are junior walk-on Howard Lauretti
(midfielder), plus sophomores Jacob Yatsko (defender-midfielder),
Matthew Horton (forward-midfielder) and Walter Vasquez (forward)
As for the competition in the North Division, Engel believes his team can hold its own.
“Trumansburg will be tough in the Large Division,” Engel said.
“Lansing is always good and Marathon is always tough (among the Small
Schools). The one team I’m not sure about is Union Springs-Port Byron.
It really is a tough division. We certainly can be competitive is the
division.”
