Katie Beekman
Published on March 16, 2010

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the past three years, the Long Island Academy has become a powerhouse in the NPSL. In 2007, the Academy went 5-3-3. They found a championship in 2008 when they went 8-1-2 and won the Mid Atlantic division, and last season, the team went 4-1-3.

So what’s in store for Long Island Academy this season? Well, with the addition of three new teams to the Northeast Atlantic Division and a total of eighteen new teams to the NPSL, the Academy will be seeing a lot more competition. Will they be able to find the same success it has found in recent years with all the new additions? Head coach Adrian Gaitan sure does hopes so. According to Gaitan, the team plans to continue to go in a little bit different direction and have a much younger team. There will be a few older, veteran players who will be able to help out with the experience factor, but most of the roster will consist of elite college players.

Like all teams, their needs to be a team leader. As of now, coach Gaitan doesn’t know what player will be handling that job. “As the season goes on, someone needs to step into that void. We have a group of kids who are highly successful and competitive so we will just have to see who takes that leadership role.”

As for division rivalries? “Boston,” said Gaitan. “They have always been a big rival of ours, but our stiffest competition will be ourselves. We have been the most successful team for the past couple of years, so we have to be the ones to beat again.”

The Northeast Atlantic Division, which is comprised of the Boston Tea Men, Long Island Academy, New York Red Bulls, Brooklyn Italians, New York Athletic Club, and Morris County Colonials, will be packing a lot of talent this year. All teams have a skilled coaching staff and the necessary resources to take the division title on any given day, but with the coaching background that Gaitan possesses (numerous state and regional championships, and appearances in national semi-finals and finals), and the competitiveness that all New Yorkers carry, Long Island Academy will definitely be considered contenders for not only the conference title, but for the national title as well