Coaching changes fuel fast starts for Shoreham-Wading River, Wheatley boys soccer teams

Dani Braga stepped down as Jericho’s boys soccer coach after last year with 13 seasons and an impressive list of championships behind him — four Nassau, four Long Island and four state crowns.

“I moved out to Shoreham,” Braga said. “They didn’t have a soccer program here for the youth. I have a 7- and 9-year-old and I wanted to start a soccer program.”

Then he found an unexpected soccer opportunity. Shoreham-Wading River needed a varsity boys coach.

“The former coach [Robert Marine-Mancuso] was leaving the position,” Braga said, “and it was presented to me somewhat similar in Jericho how they said, ‘Coach, if you’re interested, there’s a job. We’d love to have you’ type of thing.”

That led to an interview, and the feeling turned out to be mutual.

So Braga, who won a national championship as a goalkeeper at St. John’s, started SWR FC for the kids and brought his winning formula to the Wildcats.

After going 13-0 and taking the Town of Brookhaven’s summer league title, this group is off to 10-0 start after beating the nation’s third-ranked team, Garden City, 1-0 on Saturday. The Wildcats have already clinched a playoff spot and have outscored the opposition 40-3.

“I feel like I brought over a little bit different look to the team,” said Braga, whose Wildcats are ranked second in the state in Class A. “The kids bought into it since day one.

“If you give a bunch of these kids the confidence and the belief that they can play, that they can win and we’re going to build something, I think they can go as far as the kids can take us.”

Braga sees a contender for the program’s first county title since 2005, saying, “We don’t necessarily have a weakness.”

Zach Makarewicz has scored 13 times. Braga called the junior striker “a natural goal scorer.”

Evan DeGroot has scored eight times and has set up five other goals. Braga called the junior outside midfielder “a phenomenal surprise.”

Seniors Tyler Nowaski and Andrew Stiene and junior Owen Dubato have also stood out in the midfield. Senior center backs Matt Thomsen and Terence Winters and senior goalkeeper Branon Smith have been among those doing their part defensively en route to seven clean sheets.

“We’re a heavy junior, senior team and a lot of them think that this is their last go,” Braga said. “I think they’re willing to put in the work and not second-guess. They trust me and trust my background. I think that’s a huge thing.”

Wheatley winning again

Wheatley also had a coaching vacancy. The online post caught the eye of a former goalkeeper for the Adelphi men/former assistant coach with the Adelphi women — someone who hadn’t been a head coach beyond youth soccer.

“I figured with the knowledge I do have of the game, I figured why not take the bump up,” said Manny Mirao, who was also a standout at Mineola and served as a Valley Stream North boys assistant last season.

So he interviewed and got hired. The 24-year-old Mirao’s Wildcats, just 4-10-1 team last season, have already surpassed that win total. They’re 6-1-2.

“Certainly, I don’t want to give myself the credit at all because at the end of the day, it’s the kids on the field who are responsible for the results that we get,” Mirao said. “We had two training sessions a week over the summer. I felt the boys were really committed from the start. They work hard. … We’re a very well-oiled machine.”

Senior striker Casey Quinn has fueled them offensively, delivering eight goals and five assists.

“He’s uber athletic,” Mirao said. “He’s dangerous at any moment. He can score from anywhere.”

Mirao said the defensive system revolves around senior goalkeeper Owen Kelly, who owns five shutouts.

“He leads phenomenally,” Mirao said. “He’s a fantastic shot stopper.”

Two other defensive standouts have been senior center back Krish Kripalani and sophomore central defensive midfielder Diego Cruz.

“We want to win the conference,” Mirao said of Nassau A/B-III. “We want to go into the A playoffs knowing that we are one of the best teams in the A classification, and a county championship would be awesome.”