If two area soccer teams have one thing in common, it’s that they both lost double digit seniors from last year’s teams.

The Pine Bush Bushmen graduated 14 seniors from last year’s squad and the Valley Central Vikings lost 13. While the Wallkill Panthers didn’t lose at least 10 seniors, they did lose eight from a roster of 19 players.

The Bushmen reached the Section 9 Class AA semifinals before losing to the top-seeded and eventual champions, the Warwick Wildcats.
They lost a ton from that squad, including Matt Brown, Michael Conklin, Patrick Conklin, Joseph Darrell, Sergio Gonzalez, Kealan Stelmasyzk and Jack Taylor.

They do have some talent returning in the form of seniors Brandon Alba-Garcia, Roberto Lopez, Noah Rosenfeld and Trevor Spignardo. The Bushmen will also welcome back juniors Aaron Cohen, Imanol Florez, Sepulveda, David Gomez, Justin Martir and Jesse Morse.

Sophomore Jeffrey Palma and Nicholas Fermanian will join a team that coach Marc Gittleman called young but described it as having lots of energy and skill. It’s a team he expects will be competitive in the section.

The Valley Central Vikings had a strong season last year that ended in the Section 9 Class AA quarterfinals when they were beaten by the Bushmen. The Vikings lost 13 players from last year’s squad, seven of which were starters.
The Vikings lost Dominic Ciano, Connor Swart, Sebastian Rockwood and Justin Dorner. They return Shea Stadler, Jonah Brown and Bryten Schaper.

Valley Central coach Paul Berkowitz, in his 23rd season as the Vikings’ coach said newcomers Anderson Palmer have come into the preseason with a “high level of enthusiasm and potential.”

The Vikings are looking to improve upon last year’s finish and the division they share with Pine Bush – Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 – got a little more crowded this year as the Washingtonville Wizards jumped to Class AA, creating a four-team division with Warwick.

“So far, this preseason, the boys have constantly impressed me with the level at which they have prepared for this season,” Berkowitz said.

The Wallkill Panthers also had a strong season last year despite losing in the Section 9 Class A tournament to the top-seeded Beacon Bulldogs. They’ve already started their season on the right foot with a 1-0 win over Poughkeepsie on Thursday.

The Panthers have lost senior goalkeeper Luke Diemoz, Julian Gries and Dominic Pelella.
They return senior captains Erick Vargas and Renzo Scanu, and junior captain Carson Frisbie.