Boys Soccer – VOTE: Week 6 Surf Taco Player of the Week
The Week 6 Edition of the Surf Taco Boys Soccer Player of the Week has a postseason angle to it, with the Shore Conference Tournament opening Saturday and many of the games earlier in the week carrying implications on who made or did not make the 26-team field. Read about a few of the players who stepped up in the clutch last week and vote for the one who is most deserving of the latest Player of the Week honor. Voting runs up until 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
Class A North Player of the Week
Justin Goldberg, Manalapan
With Manalapan on the brink of missing the Shore Conference Tournament, Goldberg played the biggest second-half of his career. The senior center midfielder scored three goals after halftime, including the golden goal in a 4-3 win over Franklin in which the Braves trailed, 3-0, at the break. Goldberg capped his week with a goal and an assist in Manalapan’s SCT first-round win over St. Rose – a game Manalapan earned by beating Howell, 3-0, on Wednesday.
A North Honorable Mention: Dominic Bellomo, CBA; Patrick O’Dwyer, Long Branch; Ryan Caruso, Manalapan; Alex Sigua, Middletown South; Luke Pascarella, CBA; Charlie Daly, CBA; Eryck Lazo, Long Branch; Brandon Grine, Marlboro; Jack Gill, CBA; Dylan Dougher, Howell
Class A Central Player of the Week
Anthony Arena, Holmdel
It appears as though the reigning Shore Sports Network Player of the Year is all the way back from a hamstring injury that has been hampering him since sustaining it on Sept. 15. The senior striker and Monmouth University commit slammed in two goals in a 4-1 win over Shore on Wednesday and put in two more in a 4-0 win over Allentown on Saturday.
A Central Honorable Mention: Jake Fortune, Raritan; Matt Drake, Manasquan; Alex Nichols, Red Bank Catholic; Terrence Carroll, Red Bank Catholic; Joe Arena, Holmdel; Gavin Hersey, Raritan; Nick Schweizer, Red Bank Catholic
Class A South Player of the Week
Joe Schlageter, Jackson Memorial
A loss to Southern on Oct. 3 made last week’s home game vs. Toms River North a must-win for Jackson Memorial and the Jaguars won it convincingly thanks, in large part to Schlageter. The senior midfielder recorded a hat trick in the first 46 minutes of the match to spark his team to a 5-1 victory, which clinched Jackson Memorial the outright Class A South championship for the second straight season.
A South Honorable Mention: Kevin Kiernan, Southern; Dane Bodziak, Toms River East; Logan Romero, Toms River East; Dan Russo, Jackson Memorial; Riley DeFeis, Toms River North; Shane Kluxen, Toms River South; Campbell Challoner, Toms River South; Joe Amabile, Toms River South; Ola Ogoiynka, Central; Gianni Smith, Central
Class B North Player of the Week
Brooks Condon, Colts Neck
Winners of five out of six, Colts Neck has turned around its season over the past two weeks and just won a Shore Conference Tournament game as a No. 23 seed. Condon has been right in the middle of the action for the Cougars, especially last week. The senior midfielder scored a goal in each of the Cougars’ three wins – all of which Colts Neck had to have. He notched a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Middletown South and did the same in a 2-1, overtime win over Middletown North. Condon went on to score an equalizer in the 3-2, overtime win against Pinelands on Saturday in the first round of the SCT.
B North Honorable Mention: Riley Powers, Wall; Jon Paul Valencia, Red Bank; Wilby Alfred, Neptune; Johnny Troiano, St. John Vianney; John Farfan, Colts Neck; Armond Valentino, St. John Vianney; Santieno Harding, Ocean; John Volpe, Wall; James Schutz, Ocean; Ethan Kilmnick, Colts Neck
Class B Central Player of the Week
Ki Costa, Point Beach
While we try to spread the wealth around in this Player of the Week feature, Costa’s week was too good to deny. The Point Beach senior has already won Player of the Week recognition once this season but that week pales in comparison to what he did on back-to-back days to start the week. Costa erupted for six goals and an assist in a 7-3 win over Manville on Monday, then scored four more in a 6-1 win over Mater Dei.
B Central Honorable Mention: Christian Riozzi-Bodine, St. Rose; Jason Gruber, Mater Dei
Class B South Player of the Week
John Hart, Pinelands
Pinelands entered the season with heightened expectations thanks to its senior-heavy core, but Hart has added to that as a sophomore. Last week was his best week as a high school player as he recorded his first career hat trick in a win over Manchester, then scored 46 seconds into the Wildcats’ round one SCT game against Colts Neck, which Pinelands later lost in overtime.
B South Honorable Mention: Sean Moffitt, Lacey; Christian Jimenez, Lakewood; Vin Loffredo, Donovan; Logan Duffy, Manchester; Clay Yannazzone, Donovan
Wild Cards
Riley Powers, Wall
After getting in on the act with a goal in a 4-0 win over Raritan on Oct. 8, Powers planted two huge goals on Wednesday night to help Wall beat Class B North rival Ocean, 2-0, which denied the Spartans a perfect 7-0 record in divisional play.
Dominic Bellomo, CBA
CBA found itself in a must-win game Wednesday at Freehold Township with the outright Class A North championship on the line. The Colts left no doubt with a 4-1 win and Bellomo set the tone by scoring the first two goals of the game, including one directly off a corner kick.