MaxPreps 2015 New York high school boys soccer preview

Video: Jerry Lewandowski Shenendehowa 2014 Highlights
See the Shen High star's highlights from last season.

Change is in the air as the boys soccer season gets started this week in New York.

Some of the top teams from last year have had roster makeovers, not only from the normal addition/subtraction of graduation losses and varsity newcomers, but from additions through players returning to play for their high schools after being part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. (The USSDA prohibits its players from being on varsity teams).

Here are some interesting story lines as the season gets under way this week.

Byram Hills bolstered by big additions
The Bobcats, a 2014 state semifinalist in Class A, are one of the biggest benefactors of players leaving USSDA, as brothers David Noel and Ryan Noel and midfielder Jack Beer have joined Byram Hills (Armonk) after being in the USSDA last fall. Beer and David Noel are juniors, Ryan Noel is a sophomore.

Though the Bobcats will be minus all-stater Payton Levine, who will be playing lacrosse at Cornell, Byram Hills also has a stacked group of returnees that includes seniors Zach Beinhacker (midfield), Ben Weinstein (forward), Conor Taub (defender), Ryan Starker (defender) and junior Matt Groll (goaltender).

Byram Hills has a big early test when it opens the season Sept. 2 against Eastchester, which fell to the Bobcats in last fall's sectional semifinals.

Eastchester, guided by 33rd-year coach Alfio Carrabotta, has one of the top midfielders in the Hudson Valley in Austin Capasso.

Sea of change for Shenendehowa
To say defending Section 2 (Albany area) Class AA champion Shenendehowa (Clifton Park) has plenty of new faces would be the ultimate of understatements.

Shen lost 18 players from last year's title team to graduation. But the Plainsmen have plenty of talent, despite returning just six players from 2014.

What's more, Jerry Lewandowski, one of the state's leading goalies, is back.

Big battles out East
Contending teams in Section 11 (Suffolk County) will waste little time squaring off against each other. Brentwood, Commack, Smithtown West and Walt Whitman (Huntington Station) are among those teams.

Walt Whitman, with 22-goal scorer Witman Hernanadez back for his senior season, hosts Harborfields (Greenlawn) on Thursday. The same day, Smithtown West hosts Miller Place. Brentwood visits St. Anthony's (Melville) on Friday.

Commack, which won the 2014 state Class A title, hosts Kings Park on Saturday. Commack will be led this season by the return of senior midfielder Anthony Izzo, who scored both goals in a 2-0 title-game win over Fairport.

Syosset eyes an encore
Syosset was able to spring one of the biggest upsets of the 2014 season, stunning previously unbeaten defending state champ Massapequa 2-0 in the Nassau County Class AA semifinals.

One of the goal scorers in the game, senior midfielder Richie Rambarran, returns for the Braves.

Syosset will be without one of the stars of that upset, goalie Matt Parker, who made eight saves against Massapequa, including several spectacular stops from point-blank range.

Syosset and Massapequa will meet again on Friday, Sept. 18 at Massapequa.

Dutchess duo should be dominant
The two best teams in Section 1, which includes four counties in the Hudson Valley area, could be Arlington (LaGrangeville) and John Jay (Hopewell Junction). But who's better?

John Jay is the defending Section 1 Class AA champ, but lost to Arlington two times in the regular season. Arlington was upset by Fox Lane in the sectional quarterfinals, preventing a possible postseason meeting against John Jay.

The rivals meet twice in a four-day span this regular season: Monday, Sept. 28 at John Jay and Thursday, Oct. 1 at Arlington.

Multimedia news and sports editor and producer Joe Lombardi is director of media initiatives and managing editor of the DailyVoice.com, as well as the primary author of the most recent edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies." Follow Joe on Twitter @Joe_Lombardi or e-mail jlombardi@dailyvoice.com.