Boys Soccer – 2014 Preview: Class A Central

After three dominant years within the division, Holmdel finally ran into a serious threat to its divisional reign in the form of a senior-heavy Rumson-Fair Haven squad. Despite the challenge, Holmdel came through to win a share of its fourth straight division championship and the Hornets have made it to 2014 as a favorite to, yet again, win the division, challenge for the Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Group II championships.

Rumson-Fair Haven will try to recover from the heavy graduation, Raritan will gear up for some potential big years down the road, Matawan will look to make noise in a new division and Manasquan, St. John Vianney and Monmouth will try to bounce back from disappointing seasons. It all spells out a group of six teams that will be trying to take out the one clear favorite.

Holmdel

Head Coach: John Nacarlo, 12th season
Last Year’s Record: 16-2-3 (10-1-1, tied first in A Central)
Returning: Gino D’Agostino (Sr., Forward); Menos Hiras (Sr., Midfield); Eric D’Aleo (Sr., Midfield); Nick Zolofra (Sr., Defense); Brian Healy (Sr., Defense); Tyler Marchiano (Jr., Goalkeeper); Brendan Wall (So., Midfield)
Departed: Jack Flanagan (Midfield); Jason Kyriacou (Forward); Connor Shields (Defense); Santo Arena (Midfield)
Newcomers: Tom Rogan (Sr., Defense); Rob Ceriello (Sr., Defense); Leo Lobrega (So., Midfield); Hunter Chapman (So., Forward/Midfield); Dante Marino (Jr., Defense); Rohan Ghandi (Jr., Defense); Nick Chrystal (Jr., Midfield); Cyrus Darvish (Fr., Midfield); Kyle Calhoun (Sr., Defense); Paul Soltys (Sr., Midfield); Michael Carannante (Jr., Goalkeeper); Sean Gross (Jr., Forward); Nick Saizan (Jr., Midfield)

The 2013 season was the year Holmdel was supposed to fall from its Class A Central thrown, and while division rival Rumson did beat the Hornets in two out of their three head-to-head matches – including the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal – Holmdel still managed to earn a share of the division title with a loaded Rumson squad. With Rumson losing nine starters and 17 players in all, Holmdel is poised to once again reclaim its place above the rest of A Central, with some expected resistance from the defending co-champs and others, of course.

Holmdel only needs to replace four starters, but those four starters played major roles. Two of the top three leading scorers are gone, with forward Jason Kyriacou and midfielder Jack Flannagan graduating. In addition to the scoring, Holmdel must also replace sweeper Connor Shields as well as one of the program’s top up-and-coming talents, sophomore Santo Arena, who elected to play academy soccer.

To keep the Holmdel train rolling, senior forward Gino D’Agostino will lead after scoring nine goals and tying for second on the team with Flanagan in total scoring. Sophomore Brendan Wall and senior Menos Hiras are both coming off seasons that were interrupted by injury at different points and still yielded a fair amount of production for each. Senior Eric D’Aleo has been a consistent contributor during each of the last two seasons. Senior Brian Healy moves to sweeper from the outside, helping to protect junior All-Shore third-team keeper Tyler Marchiano. With another high-level keeper in place for two more seasons and a mix of senior and underclass talent, Holmdel is set up to continue adding to its four straight Class A Central titles.

Raritan

Head Coach: Ron Poll, seventh season
Last Year’s Record: 11-6-2 (6-4-2, third in A Central)
Returning: Ryan Casciani (Sr., Forward); Rocco Ferrigno (Sr., Defense); Cassidy Tripolitis (Sr., Defense); Barry O’Sullivan (Jr., Midfield); Angelo Fontanazza (So., Defense)
Departed: John McAree (Midfield); Patrick Goggins (Midfield); Mike Pydeski (Defense); Dan Owens (Defense); Alex Pruckowski (Goalkeeper); Justin McAree (Midfield);
Newcomers: Quinton Bivians (Sr., Midfield); Chris Leveroni (Sr., Defense); Chris Medina (Jr., Forward); Peter Amato (So., Midfield); Dan DelRusso (So., Midfield); Louis DiLaurenzio (Fr., Forward); Chad Santopadre (So., Goalkeeper); Nick Benoit (Fr., Defense); Tom Savin (Fr., Midfield/Forward); Tony Pruscino (Sr., Midfield); Matt Susino (Sr., Defense); Andrea Del Medico (Sr., Midfield); Frank Carine III (Sr., Defense)

If there is a team that poses a threat to a continuation of Holmdel’s divisional dominance, it is likely Raritan. A division championship for Raritan this season might be arriving ahead of schedule, but the Rockets do have a chance to set the foundation for a nice five-year rivalry with Holmdel and Rumson at the top of the division. Raritan already made strides in that department last year when they tied both Rumson and Holmdel during the regular season and finished third in the division.

To take things a step farther, some younger players will have to grow up fast. The Rockets must replace six starters from last year’s team and in order to replace those players without putting too much on the plate of the new sophomore and freshman players, coach Ron Poll will be moving some pieces around. Returning leading scorer Cassidy Tripolitis will move from attacking center midfield to center fullback alongside fellow senior Rocco Ferrigno, who was a coaches’ all-division pick as a junior. That will leave the middle to junior Barry O’Sullivan, senior Quinton Bivians, sophomores Peter Amato and Dan DelRusso and freshman Tom Savin. The young midfield group will make scoring an early challenge, but the premium against the quick-hitting attacks of Holmdel and Rumson will be goal-prevention.

Up top, senior Ryan Casciani will team with freshman Louis DiLaurenzio, which will make Raritan dangerous on the counter-attack and eventually once the Rockets can form an attack through the formation. Based on Raritan’s recent history, it will work to establish that possession game and if the young group picks it up and can steal a win or two along the way, the Rockets could be flying high soon enough.

Rumson-Fair Haven

Head Coach: Will Gould, second season
Last Year’s Record: 19-3-1 (10-1-1, tied first in A Central)
Returning: Mike Slutz (Sr., Forward); Shaemus Ffrench (Sr., Defense); Paul Criscitiello (Sr., Defense); Jaime Martin (Jr., Forward); Danny Susser (Sr., Midfield)
Departed: Eamon Kinston (Forward); Pete Martin (Midfield); Harry Gassert (Midfield); Matt Dell (Midfield); Chris Tierney (Goalkeeper); Ryan Strang (Defense); Carl Geiger (Defense); Kieran Doherty (Sr., Midfield); Chris Drummond (Sr., Defense); Jimmy Purcell (Midfield)
Newcomers: Perry Litwin (Sr., Goalkeeper); Christian Ciardiello (Jr., Defense); Dean Criscitiello (Jr., Defense); Peter Halliday (Jr., Forward); Nick Calabrese (So., Midfield); Markar Krikorian (So., Goalkeeper); Sam Sapnar (So., Defense/Midfield); Jeremy Nives (Fr., Midfield)

Despite losing 17 seniors – nine of whom were starters – the expectations remain the same at Rumson, where the Bulldogs enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history in 2013. Although season was a successful one by nearly any standard, it was also a frustrating one for the Bulldogs. Rumson settled for a share of the Class A Central championship and lost in both the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship games, the first to Manalapan and the second to Delran. The next step for the program under second-year coach Will Gould will be to prove they can sustain an annual winner at Rumson, even with heavy losses to graduation.

In order to do that, the Bulldogs will lean on a small group of returnees who go from supporting cast to the top of the scouting report. Senior forward Mike Slutz was a breakout star for the Bulldogs last year, pushing his way into the starting lineup and scoring 13 goals. Junior Jaime Martin and senior Paul Criscitiello also return after providing scoring on last year’s 19-win squad, while senior Shaemus Ffrench returns to the back line after starting on the outside last season. Sophomore Nick Calabrese will get a shot in the midfield with senior Dannny Susser as the Bulldogs put its next wave of talent to the test.

Manasquan

Head Coach: Tom McGill, first season
Last Year’s Record: 5-10-5 (3-8-1, sixth in A Central)
Returning: Enrique Perez (Sr., Forward); Jake Cardelfe (Sr., Midfield); Tyler Bradley (Sr., Defense); Noah Drake (Sr., Defense); Parker Black (Sr., Defense); Ed Franzoni (Sr., Midfield); Patrick Rogers (Sr., Midfield); Joe Warner (Sr., Defense); Mike Lyons (Jr., Midfield)
Departed: Rich Comer (Midfield); Shane Smith (Defense); Sean Brennan (Midfield); Tim Krajewski (Goalkeeper); Alex Carter (Defense); Connor Reichey (Defense); Christian Thompson (Midfield); Jason Trischitta (Defense)
Newcomers: Matt Cannon (Jr., Midfield), Brendan Kelly (Jr., Defense), Mike Howell (Jr., Midfield), Thomas McGill (Jr., Midfield), Tolga Guven (Jr., Midfield), Brian Comer (Jr., Goalkeeper), Ryan Shafer (Jr., Midfield), Brian Tapia (So., Midfield), Fransico Bautista (Jr., Forward), Aaron Kocienski (So., Midfield), Chris Black (Fr., Defense)

Seven-year volunteer assistant Tom McGill takes over as the head coach of the Warriors this year as Manasquan looks to get back into the mix for Class A Central and Central Jersey Group II championships. At its best, Manasquan has been a defensive side, but the Warriors have lacked scoring punch at times as evidenced by their 16 goals in 20 games last year. Those struggles should loosen their grip some this year with the return of talented senior striker Enrique Perez, a coaches’ all-division pick who scored five goals and assisted on three more as a junior.

The Warriors will also try to get back to the stifling defense that personified their program as recently as a couple of years ago. Seniors Jake Cardelfe and Tyler Bradley are back in the midfield and seniors Noah Drake and Parker Black return to the back line. With a strong senior presence back from last season, Manasquan will have an advantage over most of the teams in this division and if the experience manifests itself the way the Warriors would like, they could make a surprise push for a division title.

Matawan

Head Coach: Dave Deegan, 14th season
Last Year’s Record: 7-8-1 (6-5-1, tied third in B North)
Returning: Alex Cella (Sr., Forward); Matt Isaacson (Sr., Midfield); Bronson Dhume (Jr., Midfield); Sada Mehari (Sr., Defense); Tyler Chin (So., Defense); Jacob Labinger (So., Defense); Juris Stutts (So., Midfield)
Departed: Dylan Ahrens (Goalkeeper); Brendan Howley (Defense); Sam Labinger (Forward); Berend Malin (Midfield); Joe Garofalo (Defense); Liam Radvanski (Defense); Nick Santuccio (Defense);
Newcomers: Abisai Gutierrez (Sr., Forward); Amil Muminovic (Jr., Midfield); Alejandro Platero (Jr., Defense); Colin Thompson (Jr., Goalkeeper); Charlie Costello (So., Forward); Keleb Mehari (So., Defense); Liam Nappi (So., Defense); Anthony Quattrocci (So., Midfield); Tyler Walling (So., Midfield); Denir Radoncic (Fr., Forward)

Matawan endured a frustrating season in 2012 before rebounding with a third place tied in the division last year with a mix of skill, speed and experience. This year’s version of Matawan will have enough speed and skill to give teams in its new division problems, but it will also be a younger, smaller team than last year, which falls more in line with the teams Matawan had in prior years. One thing the current Huskies do have is one of the division’s top scorers in senior forward Alex Cella. A speedster at the top of the formation, Cella is coming off a season in which he scored eight goals and combined with then-senior Sam Labinger to score 16 of the team’s 25 goals.

Returning Cella to the lineup will give Matawan a proven finisher, but that won’t separate them from the other team’s in this division. The Huskies will need the next wave of players and last year’s role players to turn into the new core of the team. Senior Matt Isaacson and junior Bronson Dhume return in the midfield, with Dhume bringing some scoring prowess on the attack. Sadi Mehari and sophomores Tyler Chin and Jacob Labinger will lead the defense, where Matawan lost most of its experience and size. If the Huskies can establish themselves in the back in front of new goalkeeper Colin Thompson, they have a chance to pick up where they left off in B North last year.

St. John Vianney

Head Coach: Brian Grimm, 13th season
Last Year’s Record: 9-9-0 (5-7-0, tied fourth in A Central)
Returning: Christian Bruno (Sr., Defense); Davin Eugenio (Sr., Midfield); Mark Urbealis (Jr., Midfield/Forward); Andrew DeRosa (Sr., Midfield); Alex Politi (Sr., Forward); Lello Scotto di Clemente (Sr., Defense); John Kazmac (Sr., Goalkeeper); Vinny Durso (Sr., Forward)
Departed: Dylan Olsen (Forward); Chris Loney (Forward); Jonas Melendez (Defense); Alex Gomez (Forward/Midfield); Kevin Baccaro (Midfield); John Caracappa (Midfield)
Newcomers: Austin Schlessinger (Jr., Midfield/Forward); David Kamenar (Jr., Midfield); Michael Clancy (Jr., Defense); Zack Richards (Jr., Midfield/Defense)

Of all the teams in Class A Central, the Lancers the only one without a top scorer returning to the team this season. St. John Vianney loses 27 goals between three players: Chris Loney (11), Dylan Olsen (10), and Alex Gomez (6). In addition to the scoring, the Lancers will have to replace a top defender in Jonas Melendez and a quality midfielder in Kevin Baccaro. In a division that ha teams returning proven commodities, the Lancers have some uncertainty to overcome.

Fortunately for Vianney, a pair of its returning players began to find the scoring touch last year. Seniors Alex Politi and Vinny Durso combined for seven goals down the stretch and both will be called upon to continue to find the net. Senior Davin Eugenio and junior Marc Urbealis have plenty of time in the midfield and Christian Bruno returns to help lead the defense in the absence of Melendez. St. John Vianney has the most work to do to get back to where they were and beyond, but the program has had enough talent to compete over the years, so it’s really just a matter of how this group jells together over the first couple of weeks of the season.

Monmouth

Head Coach: Darren Spadevecchia, 11th season
Last Year’s Record: 3-15-1 (0-11-1, seventh in A Central)
Returning: Matt Doucette (Sr., Midfield); Ross Spadevecchia (Jr., Forward); Bobby Riordan (Jr., Midfield); Matt Vincenti (Sr., Goalkeeper); Jorge Camargo (Sr., Defense); Kyle Wire (Sr., Defense); Paul Gonzalez (Jr., Midfield)
Departed: Ivan Romano (Defense)
Newcomers: Fabiani Morales (Midfield); Auruo Diaz (Midfield); Austin DeOrio (Midfield); Matt Moynihan (Defense)

The Falcons sported one of the younger teams in the Shore Conference and it showed early on. Monmouth endured a winless season in Class A Central, although they managed to salvage one draw against Manasquan. Monmouth played Manasquan tough twice and also played Rumson close twice as well, falling 2-1 in the second regular-season meeting and 3-1 in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II playoffs after a Rumson goal in the final minutes put the game out of reach. The bottom line: Monmouth was a very young team that got better and showed fight against some good competition.

If not for the fact that Monmouth has such a large gap to close on the next A Central team, it would be easier to peg them as a team to climb quickly. To close that gap, the Falcons will look to senior midfielder Matt Doucette to lead the way while junior Ross Spadevecchia – cousin of head coach Darren Spadevecchia – can keep on scoring like he has since he joined the team during the middle of last season. Juniors Paul Gonzalez and Bobby Riordan will also be keys in the field, as will defenders Jorge Camargo and Kyle Wire. Senior goalkeeper Matt Vincenti has performed as one of the top goalkeepers in the division, especially since he has faced a higher volume of shots than the other keepers of A Central. Monmouth will look to turn that shot discrepancy around and fire up the standings with its experienced, hungry roster.

The A Central 11

Gino D’Agostino, Holmdel

After a nine-goal season while moving around the formation some, D’Agostino should be even more dangerous now that he can line up at the top of the formation and zero in on the back of the net.

Alex Cella, Matawan

Unofficial polls of A Central coaches name Cella the fastest forward in the conference and he turned that speed and finishing ability into eight goals last year. Despite some losses to graduation, the Huskies have enough talent to keep getting Cella the ball.

Enrique Perez, Manasquan

An all-division pick by the coaches a year ago, Perez is poised to build on a five-goal season with a more complete formation behind him and an extra year of maturity and physical development on his end.

Mike Slutz, Rumson-Fair Haven

Slutz could miss some time early in the season due to a hip flexor issue, but he is on track to return early in the division schedule and make another run at double-digit goals after scoring 13 for the 19-win Bulldogs last year.

Menos Hiras, Holmdel

A prototype defensive center midfielder who has size, skill and vision, Hiras often goes unnoticed on a team with some flashier players, but he often holds the key to how Holmdel plays on a given day.

Brendan Wall, Holmdel

Injuries slowed down what could have been a special freshman season and Wall still managed to get in on some scoring action. He will get the reigns in the center midfield this year and with good health, he could thrive.

Cassidy Tripolitis, Raritan

The Rockets leading scorer from a year ago moves back in the formation from attacking center midfielder to center fullback, giving Raritan a chance to build from the back as it has done so well over the years.

Rocco Ferrigno, Raritan

An all-division defender according to the coaches, Ferrigno will have Tripolitis back in the formation with him now to give Raritan two stronger defenders and some skill to boot in front of the net on a young team.

Nick Zolofra, Holmdel

Another athletic defensive minded player in the middle for the Hornets. Zolofra is a good passer out of the back and Holmdel will be able to play through the middle with players like Zolofra, Hiras and Wall.

Tyler Marchiano, Holmdel

Holmdel has been a goalkeeper factory and the latest model is Marchiano, who nailed down 11 shutouts as a sophomore. With every game, Marchiano became more central to the Hornets’ success.

Matt Vincenti, Monmouth

A lack of team success hurts Vincenti’s reputation somewhat, but as many people who might dismiss him for that reason will also praise his ball skills, which are essential facing as many shots as he has over the last two years.

Breakout Players to Watch

Jaime Martin, Rumson-Fair Haven – Scored some last year and will be a major source of offense with so many new faces.

Brian Healy, Holmdel – Holmdel produces quality sweepers even faster than it produces keepers, and Healy is next in line for the Hornets after a great debut as a starter in the outside midfield last year.

Alex Politi, St. John Vianney – Found the net four times last year and is poised to pick it up this year with the Lancers needing some offense.

Louis DiLaurenzio, Raritan –  One of the Shore’s top freshman, DiLaurenzio will get a good chance to play, as will fellow freshmen Tom Savin and Nick Benoit.