Kingston Stockade FC poised to open season
Kingston Stockade FC excited about debut in U.S. Open Cup tournament Wednesday
Kingston Stockade FC opens its season in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday against the Long Island Rough Riders.
Kingston Stockade FC opens its 2018 season in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday.
Competing for the first time in the prestigious event, Kingston travels to face the Long Island Rough Riders in the 8 p.m. match in Massapequa.
Kingston returns to its home turf at Dietz Stadium on Saturday to open the regular National Premier Soccer League campaign against the Rhode Island Reds 6 p.m. Saturday as they seek to improve on last year’s postseason run that ended in the Northeast Region semifinals with a 6-3 loss to Clarkstown SC.
“That last game was a tough pill to swallow,” second-year Stockade coach David Lindholm said.
Right now Kingston, which went 8-5-1 in 2017, is reflecting on the season as a whole rather than looking at how it ended.
“Looking back, we made a lot of progress last year and we’re looking to build on it this year,” Lindholm said.
Lindolm is excited to be in the U.S. Open Cup, which features 94 teams from all levels of U.S. Soccer.
“The players recognize it’s a unique opportunity,” Lindholm said. “We want to do our very best to win a game and make a run.”
But right now Lindholm said they’re focusing on Wednesday night.
“We’ll see what happens after that,” he said.
Lindholm admitted they haven’t had much of a chance to learn to much about the Rough Riders, who play in the Premier Development League, and went 8-2-4 during the regular season last season.
“In the Premier Development League, there’s a lot of player turnover,” Lindholm noted.
But Lindholm asserted he’s focused on his own squad. He thinks solid defensive play will help them make a run in the tournament.
Lindholm added Kingston has to figure the group they will face in the first match.
“We’re going to have a lot of attacking talent,” he noted. “The key for us is to play good team and individual defense, then let some guys make things happen on the other side of the field.”
Returning to the regular season, Lindholm predicted this year’s schedule will be harder.
After Saturday, Stockade hits the road for three straight weekends starting with Greater Lowell NPSL FC at 6 p.m. on May 19, Hartford City FC on May 26 at 7 p.m. and TSF FC on May 30 also at 7 p.m.
Stockade then returns home for a three-match homestand starting with the New York Athletic Club on June 2 at 6 p.m., the Seacoast Mariners on June 9 at 6 p.m. and last year’s NPSL national champions Elm City Express on June 16 at 6 p.m.
The Stockade travels to face the Brooklyn Italians on June 23 at 7 p.m., before returning home for a friendly against Providence City FC on April 24 at 6 p.m. and squaring off against Boston City FC in their regular season home finale on June 30 at 6 p.m.
Stockade closes out the regular season on June 7 against the New York Cosmos B, a match Lindholm believes will be a very tough test.
“They’re going to be a really strong team,” Lindholm said.
Lindholm said he also expects challenges from Hartford City and Boston City.
“There are no weak teams in our division,” Lindholm said.
He added that other changes will factor in to make this season tougher.
“We have fewer games,” Lindholm said. “They combined the two Northeast Conferences, we’re only playing each team on time.
“It’s the luck of the draw, which one you play at home, and which you play on the road.”
Kingston’s roster features 22 returning players — representing 56 percent of this year’s roster, while 17 players are new.
Nineteen players this season are active college players ranging from Division I to III, representing just under half Stockade’s roster this season.
Sixty-two percent of the roster hails from the Hudson Valley or the Capital Region.
Local players include team captain — Highland High graduate and SUNY Ulster coach Jamal Lis-Simmons, New Paltz product Victor Guirma, Roosevelt alum Joe Bogart, former Rondout Valley standout Andreas Queen and Matel Anasta of Catskill.
Kingston’s Roster also includes several players from farther afield in the Hudson Valley including Sean Ormsby, of Warwick, Bruce Jeter, of Monroe, A.J. Kmeic, of Pine Bush, Kevin Davis and T.J. Zehner, of Beacon, Josh Maley, Matt Koziol, David Siriboe-Nikansah and Scott Zobre, all of Poughkeepsie, Steve Skonieczny of LaGrangeville, Tom Steigerwald, of Salt Point, Hugo Guerra, of Brewster, Mike Corbi, of Hopewell Junction and Eric Fortier, of Pleasant Valley,
Phil Barrett, Reid Conde, Michael Creswic, Steve daFonte, Perdo Espindola, Owen Fingar, Juan Gatti, Christian Henry, Jusitn Jaime, Moosah Khanat, Marco Kloster, Svyatoslav Kozak, Mikey Lanzetta, Ross Macklin, Bernardo Mattos, Gino Rossi, Jed Sass, Nick Shenberger and Lucas Valilo round the roster.
Lindholm said Stockade’s roster is so large because it gives him plenty of options.
“The key is to make everyone is ready to go, and make sure every player is ready to step up when his name is called,” Lindholm said.
Lindholm said it’s too early to see which players will stand out this season or even who will be in the starting eleven for either the U.S. Open Cup Match or against the Reds Saturday.
But a lot of newer players will put pressure on last year’s starters for playing time, he added.
“We’ll see who performs the best in practice and
when they’re given opportunities in games, Lindholm said.
Among the cornerstones of the team is Lis-Simmons, who has served as Kingston’s captain since the team’s inception in 2016 and has played in nearly every one of Stockade’s matches.
“Jamal Lis-Simmons gives us a lot in terms of leadership,” Lindholm said. “He’s got a good perspective.
But while Lindholm predicts Lis-Simmons will play a big part on the field, he cautioned that even his playing time isn’t guaranteed.
Lindholm said he’s learned a lot about managing a team after his first season.
“We started the season with a bad lost to Hartford,” Lindholm said. “It took me a while to put our best guys on the field.”
Looking ahead to the season, Lindholm added that one his biggest challenges is ensuring guys don’t feel disappointed when they’re not picked along with assuring that the starting 11 don’t become too complacent.
“We have to get everyone playing at a high level, especially coming off last season,” Lindholm said. “We have to make sure we try to do even better.”
Lindholm said defense will also be key in the regular season.
“If you’re giving up goals,” Lindholm said. “It’s going to be difficult to win.
He added if they defense holds he has plenty of players who can score goals.
But one thing Lindholm doesn’t want to see is complacence.
“I don’t feel like we’ve made it, or we’re going to get that every year,” Lindholm said. “We have to work hard in each match and not get too far ahead of ourselves.”
When the Stockade take the field they’ll be dressed in new brand new kit. According to a press release the new kit features orange and white shorts and shirt at home and an all black theme on the road.
Stockade founder and chairman Dennis Crowley said as of May 1 the team had sold more than 275 season tickets up from a total of 245 in 2017, and he estimated this year’s total will reach 300.
Lindholm added that the fans are always an essential part of everything the club does.
“They’ve supported us on the field and off the field,” Lindholm said. “We’re excited to play.
“We want to win the Open Cup so we can give them a home game they can cheer at.”