Gulliver Prep's Nicolas Pineros is the Miami-Dade 3A-1A Boys' Soccer Player of the Year
Gulliver Prep relied on a standout individual performance to make it back to the state semifinals yet again this year.
Nicolas Pineros had 10 goals and 22 assists to get Gulliver to the state semis for the third straight year.
As a result, he is the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Boys' Soccer Player of the Year for Classes 3A-1A.
Pineros, the Miami-Dade County Boys' Soccer Player of the Year for Classes 3A-1A, was the latest offensive engine for Florida's premier program, handing out 22 assists to rank among the state's leaders in the category. The senior was also at his best near the end of the season, with five assists in his final six games.
The Raiders fell short of winning their third consecutive state championship with a loss to Delray Beach American Heritage in the Class 3A semifinals, but still finished the year among the most accomplished teams in all of South Florida.
'It's been normal for us to go up there and win with the teams we've had lately, but you don't always get what you want and the other team just wanted it more and had a little more dog in them,' Pineros said. 'Overall, the season was great. The memories and brotherhood we created was more than we could have asked for.'
Pineros, who has yet to sign with a college, had some of his most clutch performances in the postseason including a season-saving goal with a minute left in the regional semifinals to avoid losing to SLAM Miami. The tally sent the game to overtime and eventually penalty kicks where the Raiders prevailed and advanced.
'I had to learn how to take control and take charge of the team because the last few years that role fell to (former Gulliver standout) Cosme (Salas),' Pineros said. 'At the beginning I had to learn how to do that and learn a lot of valuable skills.'
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