William Floyd Soccer Make Playoff Statement With 4-1 Win

The William Floyd boys’ varsity soccer team is making up for lost time, and the Colonials are doing it in impressive fashion.

After missing the playoffs last season, William Floyd returned to the postseason and made the most of its opportunity, earning a convincing 4-1 victory over Ward Melville in the opening round of the Section XI playoffs. The win sends the No. 9-seeded Colonials into the next round, where they will travel to face top-seeded Brentwood on Monday at 2 p.m.

Led by head coach Paul Paniccia, William Floyd finished the regular season with an 8-6-2 record, earning a spot in the playoff bracket and extending an impressive run of postseason appearances. This marks the 11th time in the past 12 seasons that the Colonials have qualified for the playoffs, demonstrating the program’s continued ability to compete in Suffolk County.

The victory over No. 8 Ward Melville was an important step forward for a team that has shown plenty of determination throughout the season. William Floyd battled through several close games and proved it could compete with some of the county’s strongest opponents.

Perhaps the best example came against Brentwood, the top seed in the tournament. The Colonials pushed Brentwood to overtime in both of their regular-season meetings, with the second matchup ending in a 2-2 draw on the road. That result made William Floyd one of just two teams to take points off Brentwood during the regular season.

Those performances have given the Colonials reason to believe they can make noise in the postseason. Their ability to stay competitive against top competition will be especially important as they prepare for another challenging matchup against Brentwood.

With the opening-round victory behind them, William Floyd will look to carry that momentum into Monday’s contest. The Colonials have already shown they can go toe-to-toe with the county’s best, and their latest performance provides another reason for optimism.

The 2026 William Floyd boys’ varsity soccer roster features Matt Amalfitano, Herman Amaya, Samuel Avila, Edisson Baculima, Mayco Brito, Angel Estrada, Joe Fernandez, Dylan Flores, Jeferson Gomez, Darren Heitman, Justin Horne, Brandon Jaco, Michael Jara Argueta, Yael Jara Argueta, Christian Jones, Brayden Manion, Anderson Martinez, Max Maurina, Jaden Miller, Santiago Monsalve, Tristan Ng, Jose Ochoa, Evan Pacella, Darwin Redondo, Douglas Rios, Brandon Rivera, Erlin Rosales, Jason Sicignano, Richard Tapia and Matt Sfoglia.

The coaching staff includes head coach Paul Paniccia and assistant coaches Desmond Megna and Tony Guma.