Commack's Alberda the real deal
Soccer is one of Long Island’s flagship sports. And there’s nothing more exciting than a player that knows how to score seemingly at will. We made a big deal of Commack senior John Alberda in today’s paper – based on what he did last season. He emerged a year ago as Suffolk’s top scorer and finished with a school-record 32 goals.
How important was he to last season’s success? Commack (13-6-1) was just 1-5-1 in games where Alberda didn’t score. The Cougars reached the Suffolk Class AA semifinals before falling to Brentwood, 1-0.
So what about now? Can Commack and Alberda possibly recapture the same magic? You bet. Commack is off to a 2-0 start after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Half Hollow Hills West. Alberda was a factor in both games, recording one goal and one assist in each.
No doubt the net will get smaller for Alberda with all the attention defenses throw his way. Replicating a 30-goal season will prove difficult. But he’s no fluke. Give him some space and Alberda will burn you.