Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Malverne/East Rockaway boys soccer player Filip Beben
Filip Beben of Malverne/East Rockaway looks to shoot against goalkeeper Jacob Collar of Bethpage during a Nassau Conference AA3 soccer game at Malverne on Monday. Credit: David Meisenholder
Losing can be demoralizing, like being lost at sea. That accurately sums up Malverne/East Rockaway’s boys soccer season last fall, as injuries wore down the squad to the point of a winless season, finishing 0-16 and being outscored 68-10.
But when you’re treading water, sometimes all you need is a direction to paddle. It’s a good thing the team has senior Filip Beben, nicknamed “South Shore Lighthouse” or just “Lighthouse", by coach Robert Anderson.
“Filip is the guy, mentally and physically, that all the rest of the ‘sailors’ use to get home,” Anderson said. “They find him, trust him and know that they’re safe and able to bring home every win we can.”
With the defensive midfielder donning light blond hair and standing 6-3, Malverne/East Rockaway earned its first win since 2023, defeating Valley Stream South, 8-1, in its season opener on Sept. 2.
“I think everyone is a lot more drawn in this year with better preparation,” Beben said. “We’re just all trying to stick together and work for each other.”
That wasn’t all. Two days later, the Rockin’ Mules won again as Beben scored twice and assisted another against Manhasset. Soon the team had won four of its first five games, with Beben — Newsday’s Athlete of the Week — accounting for three goals and six assists through that stretch.
The lighthouse nickname wasn’t given for his scoring acumen, but his steady leadership that guided Malverne/East Rockaway’s ship through shaky tides.
“He’s taken on the role of the big brother on the team,” Anderson said. “It’s hard to find someone that talented who can also step up and be a man like that.”
Beben, whose family is Polish, learned to love the game at a young age when he and his father attended a Bayern Munich preseason game at New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena. He was amazed when legendary Polish striker Robert Lewandowski took the field.
“It was my dad who actually introduced [Lewandowski] to me, and when he did, I just stuck with him,” Beben said. “He’s been my idol ever since.”
It's easy to see why Beben dons the captain’s armband for Malverne/East Rockaway, his face lighting up with a smile as he describes how fun it is to play alongside teammates like Jayden Mora or how “funny” and “very creative” he finds Anderson’s nickname.
After all, he is Malverne/East Rockaway’s personal lighthouse, and his beam of light isn’t dimming anytime soon.
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
