Boys Soccer – VOTE: Week 4 Player of the Week
After a super-sized Player of the Week last week, we're more-or-less back to normal for Week 4 of the season all the way through the last week of the NJSIAA Tournament in the middle of November.
Below are the top players from each of the Shore Conference's six divisions plus two wild cards who are in the running for the award reflecting the fourth week of the season. Read about their accomplishments from the past week and vote for the player who should be recognized as overall Player of the Week.
Vote once every hour at the bottom of this post until the poll closes at 10 p.m. on Thursday.
Class A North Player of the Week
Aditya Kassina, Manalapan
Manalapan continued its unbeaten run last week with shutout wins over both Long Branch and Colts Neck and Kassina was right in the middle of both. The senior forward assisted the game-winner by Anthony Sarkisov in a 1-0 win over the Green Wave on Wednesday and scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Colts Neck on Friday.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Herman Colbert, Freehold Twp.; Aidan Englander, Freehold Twp.; Max Rosen, Marlboro; Eduardo Ribiero, Long Branch; Dylan Cupo, CBA; Ryan Keegan, Freehold Twp.
Class A Central Player of the Week
Antonio Santos, Rumson-Fair Haven
Rumson-Fair Haven lost standout midfielder Luke Pentikis for an extended period of time to a leg injury and that injury coincided with the return of Santos. With Luke Pentikis out, Santos has stepped in as the Bulldogs creator in the midfield to go with fellow junior Alec Pentikis up top and the two have worked exceedingly well together so far. Santos scored the game-winner in a huge 3-2 win over Ocean, then put up two goals and assisted one of three by Alec Pentikis in a 5-1, statement win over Wall.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Arturo Reyes, Monmouth; Aiden Hynes, Holmdel; Kaan Pehlivan, Monmouth; Maxx Eichenbaum, Shore; Aidan Tisony, Ocean; Alec Pentikis, Rumson-Fair Haven
Class A South Player of the Week
Will Buono, Toms River North
Toms River North finally suffered its first loss of the season, but the Mariners did some good things in losing to CBA, 4-2, on the road. One positive development over the past week was the emergence of Buono as a reliable finisher. The senior went off for a hat trick in a rout of Brick, then scored the first of two goals in the loss to CBA.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Mathieu Leonard, Southern; A.J. Emnace, Toms River North; Jared Brown, Toms River North; Kajus Matazinskas, Toms River East; Billy Caruso, Brick Memorial; Jared Brown, Toms River North
Class B North Player of the Week
Matt Karolak, Manasquan
It has been a breakout 2021 season for Karolak, who has been an important piece in Manasquan’s pursuit of the Class B North championship, not to mention the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments. This past week, the junior scored two goals in a 6-2 win over Brick, then posted a goal as part of a massive comeback effort in a 3-3 draw against Colts Neck.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Owen Gelber, Freehold Boro; Lucas Farkas, Manasquan; Jacob Kirkpatrick, Red Bank; Tom Samaras, Colts Neck; Johnny Troiano, St. John Vianney; Kervens Lafortune, Neptune
Class B Central Player of the Week
Tanner Curtis, Point Beach
Point Beach got back to work last week and did so in a big way leading off the week behind a Herculean effort by Curtis. Point Beach handed Mater Dei Prep a 6-1 defeat on Tuesday and Curtis had a figurative hand in every goal. The senior recorded a hat trick and assisted all three of the other goals, with junior Josh Boyan scoring two of them.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Dev Nayer, Ranney; Josh Boyan, Point Beach; Joshua Wenzel, Keyport; Luckerson Pierre, Asbury Park; Nico Natale, Keyport
Class B South Player of the Week
Kody Besser, Lacey
Besser was the biggest impact player in Class B South last week and it had more to do with his presence than his stats. The 6-4 senior did cash in on a free kick opportunity, drilling a 25-yard blast to secure a 1-0 Lions win over Barnegat on Tuesday. Besser also suffered a scratched retina in that game, which made playing his usual center back position in Thursday’s huge showdown at Point Boro nearly impossible. Instead, he played up top and assisted one of two goals by junior Ethan Riley to help the Lions to a crucial 2-1 win, inching them closer to the program’s first division championship in 11 years.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Owen Edwards, Manchester; Gabe Occhipinti, Manchester; Gerard Cerino, Lacey; Nicolas Avila, Lakewood; James Cahill, Pinelands; Stephen DeMilio, Pinelands; Ethan Riley, Lacey
Wild Cards
Dylan Cupo, CBA
While he has had a strong statistical season from the outset, Cupo was looking to raise his game in his team’s most important match of the season to date. Mission: accomplished. Against Toms River North on Saturday, Cupo broke loose for his first career hat trick, helping the Colts rally from an early one-goal deficit to beat the Shore’s No. 2 team, 4-2.
Jacob Kirkpatrick, Red Bank
Red Bank was at it again last week, beating a Top 10 team before losing to an unranked team with a losing record – which is a microcosm of how this season has gone for the Bucs. Win or lose, Kirkpatrick was a standout for Red Bank, notching a goal and an assist in an impressive 2-0 win over Holmdel and the Hornets imposing goalkeeper, Tommy Chyzowych. Even in a 4-2 loss to St. John Vianney, Kirkpatrick made some noise by scoring one of the two Bucs goals.
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