by: Sean Farrell – Record Sports
Colonial Division
Eastern Christian is in a better position now with everyone back but one player. The Eagles still only have four seniors – including returning G Randal New – so longterm growth will be important under coach Rudi Gesch. Sophomore D Ben Parker and junior M Aidan Miller are a pair of 2nd-year captains working on stringing some wins together.
Garfield could be in for a bigger season in coach Chad Sajnoski’s second year. The Boilermakers get back an excellent 1-2 punch on offense in Oscar Sanchez and Sebastian Medina. Watch out for fellow seniors Patryk Gruca and John Gonzalez along with junior striker Enrique Nunez. Making another deep state run isn’t out of reach if Garfield can grow off last year’s rebuilding season and win more close games.
Glen Rock has an promising lineup in Year 2 under Casey Schick. Experience should turn into a strength with a balanced offense led by senior Justin Kochman and juniors Ben Zakowski and John Corry. The Panthers can also get quite a bit of scoring from their defense. Backs Josh Kim, Mark Buckel and Mike Lee all had at least three goals last season when Glen Rock went 11-7.
Hawthorne has the pieces to contend again with a lot of the lineup back from a 14-win season. The Bears will count on junior F Laith Matari and senior F Alexis Cruz up top. Junior M Pastor Rubi and senior M Karim Yakoub add some scoring touch in the middle. Some holes on defense make senior G Kyle LaSpisa and senior D Ed Ritchie especially important in the Bears’ success.
Lodi is working to stay in the middle of the pack despite losses to key positions. Seniors Joan Spirollari and Joel Bueno are top players on a defense that doesn’t change much. Coach Louis Serapiglia hopes his offense can take some pressure off them by spending more time in the other half of the field. Seniors Nelson Salgado and Alejandro Abad are forwards worth watching.
Manchester could challenge some teams with its good speed and experience. With eight starters back, the Falcons are trying to get back into the state tournament and move up in their division. Senior captains Piero Lainee (defense) and Julian Caceres (goalie) are responsible for patrolling the back line and leading the team to success.
Pompton Lakes has all the parts to win in the sectional tournament. The Cardinals are led by Passaic County’s top scorer in senior F Carlo Gonzalez. Their offense shouldn’t skip a beat with the return of senior M Jared Allen and junior F Yianni Ekonomides. Senior D Michael Magyar is a great playmaker from the back and should help veteran keeper Jason Dubrovich.
Rutherford is capable of building off a 12-6-3 year and having another double-digit win season. Expectations will be high as the Bulldogs have a strong nucleus in place that starts with goalie Armando Andler, forward William Thomas and midfielder Nick Nunziato. Going deep in the state tournament and finishing highly in the division are primary goals.
Liberty Division
Bergen Charter will be really young but actually has a decent amount of varsity experience. Underclassmen will get big minutes even with six returning starters. Defense should be a strength with sophomores Konrad Nowak and Casper Pastula. The Yellow Jackets look to junior Dominik Homola to contribute at midfield.
Dwight-Englewood keeps getting better and better every year. That trend likely continues this season for the Bulldogs who could give Harrison a good run for the league title. Three 10-plus goal scorers are back in junior F Maxmilian Asteris alongside senior M Nathan Song and sophomore M Justin Jo. Top defenseman Jesse Kauderer-Abrams could be even stronger as a senior.
Harrison may be the best NJIC team with eight starters back from the North 2, Group 2 champions. The Blue Tide have a prolific offense that features senior F Deydiry Chamba, senior F Raphael Resende and junior M Omar Sowe. Chamba proved to be a top player in the state a year ago with a 26-goal season. Seniors Ney Moreno and Harman Briceno add a lot to the attack from the defense.
Leonia goes to first-year coach Luke Muller to start the rebuilding process. Muller is depending on seniors Tate Irby and Eduardo Alba for their veteran leadership. Most of the Lions’ varsity experience comes from juniors like D Ben Asciutto and M Ethan Edelman. Freshman forward Jun Choi could make an immediate impact.
Lyndhurst will be a tough team to play against with its scoring threats. The Golden Bears have a lot of firepower on offense that starts with seniors Vincent DiTonto (19 goals in ’16) and Anthony Oliveira (12). They are joined by an excellent playmaker in midfielder Adrian Baranowski. Building a young defense will be an x-factor for a group looking to make some noise in the state tournament.
New Milford expects to be a contender again with eight starters back. Three of them are on defense which means life should get a little easier this year for returning goalie Colin Hollis. The biggest challenge is replacing the goal-scoring from Alejandro Perez (Rider). Look for juniors Camilo Vargas and Andrew Rynander to take on some of that responsibility at midfield.
Meadowlands Division
Becton could climb over the .500 mark with depth in its senior class. Tomasz Mierzwa and Rafael Kuc are nice offensive weapons and fellow seniors Pritom Barua and Jonathan Flores are other promising pieces on the attacking side. With strength in the midfield, the Wildcats shouldn’t be overlooked this season.
Hasbrouck Heights first-year coach Bill Thorne takes over a strong yet inexperienced team. The Aviators, co-champions with Wallington in the Meadowlands, have a new goalie as well as seven sophomores on the varsity level. There is very good young talent from that class though in forward Jacob Flores and midfielders Emiland Elezaj and Victor Barris. Senior D Joseph Terreri should help too.
North Arlington just had a 12-10 year and will depend on its midfield for continued success. Juniors Dylan Jurado and Eric McKenna have already shown to be prolific scorers. Senior M Brandon Montesinos is seen as another player able to add to the offense. Having an established keeper in senior G Ali Timur makes the Vikings a team to watch this fall.
Paterson Charter is taking huge steps even if the wins haven’t come just yet. The Lions scored more in 2016 and gave up fewer goals than the previous year. Coach Antony Ghaly likes the team’s depth in the midfield which could help the turnaround. Senior M Yigit Cakir and junior M Griffin Young help in that area. Senior Giancarlo Velasquez and junior Gabriel Cespedes bring experience on the defensive side.
Saddle Brook is replacing seven starters including its leading scorer and 3-year goalie. The top returning scorers include senior D Nick Latona, senior M Sahib Singh and junior M Jakob Gniadzowski. Building up young players and working together will be key goals for the Falcons.
St. Mary doesn’t have very much varsity experience so rebuilding is the focus. Coach Bill Mulder has good underclassmen who will get a chance to play. Some of the Gaels’ important players coming back are senior M Charles Remache, junior F Michael Constantini and junior D Jospeh Kajon. The Gaels have a freshman at sweeper in Dylan Treanor.
Wallington is a favorite in its division and its section if all goes well. The Panthers kept five of their top seven scorers including senior Wojciech Marut (10 G in 2016) along with sophomores Damian Zurawski (12) and Nick Zielonka (11). Seniors Krystian Dziob and Derek Orjuela are great playmakers from the midfield position. With a strong veteran core, the Panthers have the potential to go far in the sectional tournament after reaching the final last year.
Weehawken is putting together a new team after graduating seven starters. The Indians look for more consistency on defense in 2017. Senior D Che Leonhardt is a focal part for them, and juniors Isaac Dominguez and Robert Luque are also back. Getting new players to fit into big roles will be imperative for coach Brian Fischer’s group.
Wood-Ridge enters Year 4 as a varsity program with a new-look lineup and hopes some underclassmen can handle playing significant minutes. The Blue Devils do have a few proven offensive players in junior F Josh Laza and sophomore M Erick Zapata who are key for a team replacing its leading scorer. Coach Alberico De Pierro has a few bright spots on defense as well in Daniel Cygan and goalie Brian Argueta.
Patriot Division
Cresskill believes that having 10 starters back will allow the Cougars to contend for league and state titles. Coach Jorge Tuesta thinks the offense is going to be better due to senior F Evan Milionis and junior F Luigi Quinones. Senior captain Toby Zypman should give them some chances from the midfield. The centerback positions are held by seniors Joe Lockhart and Justin Yee.
Emerson first-year coach Baha Basaran doesn’t lower his expectations even after graduating scoring sensation Jack Dunican. The Cavos are trying to defend their league title with senior G Declan Patterman and senior F Kyle Covello taking control. Senior midfielders Chris and Zack Schult work with junior M Burt McCarroll on a unit looking to keep Emerson among the best defensive teams.
Bogota is going through a rebuilding period. The Buccaneers don’t have many seniors, but Colin McDonnell is one of them who can score. Other key returning players include senior David Marose and juniors Fady Sarabamon, Charles Romero and Kyle Torres.
Hawthorne Christian is excited for what’s to come after graduating just two players. The Defenders get back their leading scorer in senior F David Falcon (17 G last year). There is a good support system for him that starts with junior F Ben Maura and sophomore M Cole Foster. With senior G Tim Mastroberti and other experienced players in key spots, the Defenders will vie for the division title.
Midland Park began a youth movement last year that coincided with better results. The Panthers will lean on a deep junior class to build on a 7-win season and move up the ranks in their division. Juniors Lyle Harpster and Matt Weisbrot have proven to be offensive catalysts. Coach Dan Anderson is also looking for good years from senior John Walker, juniors RJ Chirkis and David Kruis and sophomore Michael Montoya.
Palisades Park is coming off its best season in recent history. The Tigers went 8-9-2 and were over .500 at one point for the first time in six years. Young players must step up to account for the loss of David Valencia, the school’s career leader in goals. Senior M Yeison Puluc is going to be an important part of the building process. Goalie Hector Camaja, last year’s starter, is just a sophomore.
Park Ridge could bounce back with nearly all of its core intact. One of the top offensive players in the entire division is junior F Nardi Lita. Senior Ricky Kuiters and sophomore Thomas Tomassian will also be focal points on the attack. Sophomore G Nicholas DePasquale took over in goal late last year and gives the Owls some athleticism in front of junior D Dustin Glynn.
Saddle River Day looks to rebuild the lineup after losing about half of its starters. Senior F Kevin Reilly is an excellent player who chipped in 14 goals last year. The Rebels’ captain could wind up near the top of the conference in scoring. Senior Garrett Kuhlman and sophomore Dylan Besserer are key returning players in the midfield.
Waldwick has the experience and balance to contend for another sectional title. The Warriors are in a good spot with nine starters back and an older lineup than before. Junior G Lucas Mainenti and junior D Garrett Mironenko were two prominent underclassmen last year when the Warriors won 12 games. Offensive production should come from senior F Dan Lee, senior M Eric Lim and junior M Chris Borgese.
