It is the water man, it just makes a difference. 

Something one may hear pretty much on a daily basis on the Oswego State campus, and nine times out of 10, it comes from a Long Islander. 

That is very much the same for the men’s soccer team who added five freshmen from Long Island, bringing up the team’s total to seven. While Long Island is massive, with a population estimated to be 7.75 million, the guys seem to have the same mindset.

“The Long Island guys are definitely special and unique,” head coach Dan Kane said. “They bring a certain amount of toughness, but I also think they really come from strong families and from strong soccer families too. They bring that ‘I got your back, you got mine’ mentality.”

That type of mentality is something the whole team rallies around, even before the influx of Long Islanders. The team is gritty in nature, stout defensively. Dating back to last season, they surrendered just 21 goals, an average of 1.40 per game. That number was the fourth fewest in the SUNYAC, with only teams that reached postseason play ahead of them. A big part of this success was Long Island’s own Brian Terra, who was very impressive in net. Even as the team struggled to move the ball out from their own half, Terra was able to stand strong as the last line of defense. 

While Terra was on the sidelines for Oswego State’s 7-1 rout of the St. John Fisher College Cardinals, he was able to see growth in the team’s game.

“As a team, [we learned] what we are capable of,” Terra said. “Doesn’t matter who we are playing, we come out there … wanting to come out with the win.”

In the victory, Long Island stood out. Two of the seven goals came from Long Island products, and freshman Steven Rojas out of Sachem North High School recorded three assists. 

Rojas received high praise from his coach and other teammates. He comes from Lake Grove/Newfield United, one of the best club teams in the state. In June 2018, he was part of the United club that won the state title. Later that year, Rojas was named to the United Soccer Coach’s all-region team as a senior. Rojas is not just a talented player. He has great vision and a soccer IQ that is hardly matched. He can pick up his teammates and make that quick pass that few players find. While Rojas could have been a Div. I athlete, according to Kane, it was the Oswego State family that drew him in.

“When I came to visit, I loved it here,” Rojas said. “The team brought me in and treated me as if I was on the team already.”

That type of culture is something that Kane is focused on building. For him, it is easy to find talent; however, how a recruit meshes with the rest of the team is equally important.

“Everybody on our current team does an overnight, so we know they’re good players,” Kane said. “But once you get to know their personality and are they workers? Do they value family? … That’s when we know we have someone special.”

One of the players that really embodies the idea of constantly working is Kieran Gilroy. The freshman found himself without a club team after his U14 club disbanded. Being forced to commit all his time to high school soccer paid off, as he built himself into a talented player.

“He turned himself into a really really good player. His sister plays for Tennessee and was in the U21 national team pool,” Kane said. “He had an uncle that played hoops at St. Johns, so he’s got great DNA, and he worked really hard to become a great player.”

This season as a freshman, Gilroy has played in four games, registering a goal and six shots. Even before Oswego State, Gilroy has vivid memories of playing against his new teammates back home. That is one of the best aspects of Long Island, everyone seems to know everybody.

“I played [club soccer] with Brendan [Murphy] and we played in high school against each other,” Gilroy said. “I actually remember [thinking], ‘wow he got so much better from when we were younger.’ Rojas … is one of the fastest guys I know, one of the more skillful guys. And you got Liam [Rothar] who you’re scared to go up against because he’s just going to tackle you off the ball … they’re really good players.”

Part of what drives these Long Island players is where they come from. Long Islanders always want to be the best, and are competitive in nature.

“When you’re coming from Long Island, coming up here, seeing the upstate kids, you want to be better than them,” Rojas said. “Long Island kids all [have] big egos, we want to be the best players out here.”

Even though the players from Long Island share that bond now as college players, it was not always that way. Long Island athletics, especially soccer, have unique rivalries between distinct schools. As the importance of each game revs up, so does the intensity on the turf.

“Liam was on Commack, I was on Sachem North. We don’t like Commack, so when I heard Liam was coming up to Oswego, it was a little bit of a problem because we came from rival schools,” Rojas said. “[But] we are best friends.”

Regardless of high school background, the Long Islanders on this Lakers team share that special geographical bond. At Oswego State, everyone is sick of hearing about that bond, but it is true.

“In everything, it’s Long Island against everyone else, not in a bad way, but all the guys mess around,” Terra said. “Where we come from, we are proud of it.”

Perhaps most important, the guys are proud of their Long Island pizza. 

“Little Vinny’s of course, it’s got to be,” Rojas said. “[With the cold cheese,] it’s the best.”

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian