Soccer Season Set to Start

For a soccer program in its infancy, excitement at Old Forge High School continues to swell, as the Blue Devils now have more players in the program than ever before and fan support that continues to provide encouragement.

"The support from the community and the school board is really awesome," said Old Forge soccer coach John Argonish. "We have added 11 kids to the roster this year and we have a junior varsity roster this year. The numbers are up in the junior high and varsity program. It is great for the school district and Riverside is also going to have team this season and that is exciting."

Old Forge and its arch rival will get to face off this year as players and coaches expand their traditional matchup to a different playing field for the first time.

"The players and coaches are looking forward to it," Argonish said of playing Riverside. "It is great for Triboro soccer, that has been able to feed the two programs and it is great to see the sport growing in the area."

With all the excitement surrounding the team, the expectation has also grown. But, that's "just fine" with coach John Argonish and the Blue Devils' soccer team. With a lot of players returning, the Blue Devils are really optimistic about the season. Old Forge only lost two players from last year to graduation.

Old Forge opens the season when it hosts Holy Cross on Friday, Sept. 3. It has three solid senior players Michael Long, Jay Argonish and Jason Sniegowski returning with considerable varsity experience behind them. Sniegowski has been the Blue Devils' goalkeeper since the program began a few years ago. Argonish said he also has several solid juniors and sophomores who will play key roles on the team this year.

"Last year, the goal was to make the play in game for the playoff birth," Argonish said. "Anything less than the postseason will be a let down. The talent is there and they have been working hard. It could be a special year for us."

Argonish and the team have high expectations and really feel they could make the playoffs this season, but the Blue Devils understand they have a tough road. Argonish said the Lackawanna Soccer League Division III will be competitive from top to bottom and he knows the Blue Devils will have to play well in every game to earn a win.

Division III features Forest City, which is a soccer powerhouse. It has not lost a game in three seasons. Forest City will be a good measuring stick for the Blue Devils' team. Argonish said Division III has a lot of parity and in every game the team plays, it will have to play solid soccer in order to pick up a win.

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