Senior-led Raiders set lofty goals

With 21 seniors on the roster and coming off a successful 11-win campaign that ended in overtime heartbreak in the Suffolk Class AAA boys soccer quarterfinals, Patchogue-Medford has lofty goals this season.

The Raiders are looking to capture their first regular-season league championship since 1994, coach Tim Trava said, as well as get to the county semifinals for the first time since Trava helped the ’98 team get there.

“We’ve got a ton of experience back and had a big summer that set the foundation for the season,” Trava said. “We’re talented and balanced. The kids felt we should’ve been in the semifinals last year and that’s one of the goals, as well as winning the league.”

Pat-Med was the only team to defeat powerhouse Commack in 2025 and went into the playoffs on that high note before dropping a controversial 1-0 match against Bay Shore, who scored with three seconds remaining in OT after the Raiders had the potential winning goal disallowed.

The teams meet twice this season, Sept. 17 at Pat-Med and Oct. 14 at Bay Shore. The Raiders will play each of their eight league rivals once and opened the campaign winning three of four.

“We flew right into the season after one week of practice and had three games in the first week,” Trava said.

Senior goalkeeper Andy Hernandez & Co. posted back-to-back clean sheets to open the season as the Raiders defeated Longwood, 6-0, and William Floyd, 4-0. He added a third on Sept. 10 against Riverhead. He’s a third-year starter who Trava describes as the team’s “rock.”

“He’s improved year after year and set a goal for himself to be the league goalie of the year,” Trava said. “He’s one of our captains and a vocal leader. He’s a great shot stopper with a strong leg. It’s like having an extra field player in the back.” 

Anchoring the defense is another senior captain, Alexis Gomez Hernandez, who controls the center along with senior Johnny Flanagan. Both are hard-nosed and fearless, Trava said. Gomez Hernandez handles the majority of set pieces and scored twice in the opener. At left back, senior Bora Ersoz is a solid defender who has connected on a pair of corner kicks already to chip in offensively.

Up top, Trava is looking for senior captain Jonathan Velasquez to create havoc, along with senior Connor Cowell and junior CJ Cowell. Velasquez earned All-League honors last fall, scoring 11 goals with five assists. He scored in each of the first four games this year, including a hat trick against Riverhead, and Trava is hoping it’s just a sign of things to come. Connor Cowell had the hottest foot during summer league and is off to a promising start on the scoresheet along with younger brother, CJ.

Leading the midfield is senior captain Jeremy Galvez, who Trava said has taken his game to an entire new level. “He’s a big-time playmaker and distributor,” the coach said. “He’s one of the top middies in the league.” Another key piece in the midfield is sophomore Jaiden Balbuca, who brings a combination of size and skill after starring for last year’s JV.