2025 Shore Conference Boys Soccer Preview: Class B North

The Class B North division might not have boasted the depth that the A divisions of Monmouth County have over the last two years, but the top of B North is as formidable as what A Central has to offer. Two programs – Long Branch and Freehold Township – that have been through the battles in Class A North are part of this year’s divisional field, plus a Raritan team that has dueled with the likes of Holmdel, Rumson-Fair Haven, Wall and Ocean in Class A Central, not to mention a Red Bank squad coming off its first division championship since 1972.

There is a drop-off from the top four to the bottom three when it comes to performance over the last two seasons, but even those three teams – Matawan, Freehold Boro and St. Rose – are anticipating better days ahead in 2025.

In predicted order of finish

1. Long Branch

For the first 12 games of the 2024 season, Long Branch experienced the hardship of playing in the Class A North division with a young team. In the final 11 games, the Green Wave found out the benefits from playing some of the top competition in the Shore Conference. After a 2-10 start to the season, Long Branch surged to 10 straight victories, which won the Green Wave both the Shore Conference Coaches Cup and the Central Jersey Group III championship.

Five starters – including a pair of All-Shore team captains in Alejandro Flores-Lopes and Evan Santiago, as well as second-leading scorer Johan Gomez – graduated from Long Branch’s championship 2024 team. However, there is plenty of talent still on hand for the Green Wave to set up shop as the favorites in Class B North while planning for a serious title defense come late October into early November. Top scorer Thomas Silva is back at striker and third-leading scorer Christopher De Oliveira Santos will lead the attack from the midfield along with fellow senior and returning starter Brandon Mendoza.

The back line will have something to prove with the loss of three starters, but Jordan Vieira and Andre Rodas return with experience, and senior goalkeeper Gerardo Rodas is an advanced player in net who will direct the operation in the back. Senior Marvin Oyuela is an under-the-radar returnee to watch as an active presence in the midfield, while sophomore Carlos Rodas takes on a bigger role. With depth and a winning pedigree, Long Branch is ready for a strong follow-up to its history-making run to close 2024.

Long Branch at a Glance

Head Coach: Bill Rohr, second season
2024 Record: 12-11 (0-6, seventh in Class A North)
SCT Group: 8 (Southern, Wall, Brick Memorial, Pinelands, Red Bank Catholic)
Key Losses: Alejandro Lopez-Flores (Midfield), Evan Santiago (Defense), Johan Gomez (Midfield), Evarardo Ortiz (Defense), Tristan Pierre-Louis (Defense)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Thomas Silva, Sr., Forward (13 goals, 4 assists)

Christopher De Oliveira Santos, Sr., Midfield (7 goals, 6 assists)

Brandon Mendoza, Sr., Midfield (3 goals, 4 assists)

Matheus Lopes, Jr., Midfield (2 goals)

Carlos Rodas, So., Midfield

Marvin Oyuela, Sr., Midfield (3 goals, 2 assists)

Christian Gomez, Sr., Defense

Andre Rodas, Sr., Defense

Jordan Vieira, Sr., Defense (1 goal, 4 assists)

Emilio Tepepa-Morales, Jr., Defense

Gerardo Rodas, Sr., Goalkeeper (7 shutouts)

 

Other Players

Joao Dos Santos, Sr., Midfield/Forward

Marco Volpe, Jr., Defense/Midfield

Carlo Volpe, Jr., Defense

Ricardo Portillo, So., Forward

 

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2. Freehold Township

From 2003 to 2022, Freehold Township never endured a losing season and qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament in 19 straight seasons – almost unprecedented for a public school in the Shore. That is what makes the last two seasons so head-scratching for the Patriots, who are a combined 12-24-3 and have dropped down to the Class B North division after two decades as a contender in Class A North.

With former head coach Josh Mehl now the athletic director and Mike O’Boyle on board as the new head coach, the Patriots are hoping to get back on track as one of the model programs in the conference. O’Boyle takes over what is likely to be a defensive-minded, hard-working roster that will have to find goals wherever it can. Junior Greyson Fitch is the leading returning scorer with two goals in 2024, while the Patriots will look for breakout scoring seasons from seniors Sebastian Polo up top and Gino Castaneda in the midfield.

Senior Gabe Bormolini is another returning starter in the midfield, with senior Caine Massey and sophomore Chase Melcher looking to make their mark as first-year starters. Senior Bobby Lockard will lead the defense in his third year as a starter, with junior Lucas Torres bringing back a mix of experience and upside in the four-man line that will protect first-year starter and sophomore Giuseppe Romano in goal. The move to B North alone will boost Freehold Township’s win total, but the Patriots hope to be back among the Shore’s best by season’s end.

Freehold Twp. at a Glance

Head Coach: Mike O’Boyle, first season
2024 Record: 6-13-2 (2-2-2, third in Class A Central)
SCT Group: 2 (Colts Neck, Shore, Brick, Monmouth)
Key Losses: Michael Gorman (Midfield), Sean Sparks (Forward), Vin Brando (Forward), Nate Reiser (Midfield), Klaud Martyna (Goalkeeper), Brandon Cooperman (Defense)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Sebastian Polo, Sr., Forward/Midfield

Greyson Fitch, Jr., Forward/Midfield (2 goals, 1 assist)

Gino Castaneda, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 1 assist)

Chase Melcher, So., Midfield

Cain Massey, Sr., Midfield

Gabe Bormolini, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 3 assists)

Bobby Lockard, Sr., Defense

Lucas Torres, Jr., Defense

Charlie DelPrete, Sr., Defense

Jake Weiss, Sr., Defense

Giuseppe Romano, So., Goalkeeper

 

Other Players

Caleb Cone, Jr., Midfield/Forward

Jaden Doaman, Jr., Midfield/Forward

Mikkai Alcide, So., Defense

Eric Rjahovski, So., Midfield

Alex Rivera, Sr., Forward

Ethan Koziol, Sr., Defense/Midfield

 

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3. Red Bank

In the second season under the direction of Dave Santos, Red Bank ended a 51-year drought without a division championship by carving through the Class B Central division. The greater accomplishment, however, was emerging from the unofficial “group of death” to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament and winning a first-round game in both the SCT and NJSIAA Tournament.

Now back in a more challenging Class B North division, the Bucs return just four starters from last year’s B Central championship team, but two of them were All-Monmouth County performers. Forward Alex Salvo finished seventh in the Shore in total scoring on the way to his first All-Shore selection and fellow senior Jackson Whitehead returns to lead the defense at center fullback along with fellow returning senior Gus Kowalczyk.

The midfield is down two key cogs from last year, but Brian Garcia is back to complete a strong spine of the formation along with Salvo and Whitehead. Red Bank’s success will hinge on the performance of sophomore Max Fishbein and senior Cesar Cuenca in the midfield, as well as Harry Biello and Zuma Rubin in goal. The emergence of another scoring threat among the group of forwards would help as well, but with Salvo back as one of the Shore’s best goal-scorers, the Bucs should remain a dangerous opponent.

Red Bank at a Glance

Head Coach: Dave Santos, third season (30th overall)
2024 Record: 13-8-1 (6-0, first in Class B Central)
SCT Group: 1 (Howell, Middletown South, Lacey, Neptune)
Key Losses: Trey Cummings (Forward), Jason Monge (Midfield), Gavin McTighe (Midfield), Max Ansell (Defense), Noah James (Defense), Eric Minetti (Goalkeeper)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Alex Salvo, Sr., Forward (19 goals, 7 assists)

Leo Tlalpachito, Sr., Forward (1 goals, 1 assist)

Billy Carbajal, Jr., Forward; Micah Eagles, Sr., Forward; Abraham Perez, Sr., Forward

Brian Garcia, Jr., Midfield (2 goals, 6 assists)

Max Fishbein, So., Midfield

Cesar Cuenca, Sr., Midfield

Jackson Whitehead, Sr., Defense

Gus Kowalczyk, Sr., Defense (1 goals, 3 assists)

Joe Henry, Jr., Defense

Andres Osorio, Sr., Defense

Harry Biello, Jr., Goalkeeper; Zuma Rubin, So., Goalkeeper

 

Other Players

Carlos Segura-Trapp, Sr., Forward – Injured (5 goals, 2 assists)

Ryan Deverin, Sr., Midfield

Jack Krueger, Sr., Defense

Henry Rojas, Sr., Defense

Noah Schellato, Jr., Defense

Jonathan Arevalo, Sr., Defense

Ivan Linares, Sr., Defense

Angel Ramirez, Sr., Defense

William Rodriguez, Sr., Defense

Andy Plazas, Jr., Defense

 

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4. Raritan

Count Raritan among the Class B North teams that returns its top scorer from 2024. Owen Brackett enjoyed a breakout season in which he earned All-Division and All-County honors and will be one of the Shore’s more dangerous strikers as he heads into his senior season. Like Salvo with Red Bank, Brackett finds himself without a lot of proven scoring back around him after Raritan’s next six leading scorers all graduated.

Despite the lost production, the Rockets shape up well in the midfield with the return of Jake Bennett and the addition of junior Matei Cojocariu to the starting lineup. Sophomore August Zaleski is a candidate to step up as a second scoring option alongside Brackett, and junior Jaden Molina will complement Bennett and Cojocariu in the midfield.

Senior Justin Kasmer returns to captain the defense with returning classmate Joe Grzankowski, and senior Dylan Rojo is back in goal with classmate Connor Lee pushing him for time between the pipes. If the defense catches on quickly and the attack finds an additional finisher to go with Brackett, the Rockets have the makings of a team that can challenge Long Branch for the top spot in B North.

Raritan at a Glance

Head Coach: Greg Casha, second season
2024 Record: 6-11-2 (3-2-1, fourth in Class B North)
SCT Group: 5 (Holmdel, Ocean, Jackson, Ranney)
Key Losses: Sean Burnett (Forward), Eion Davis (Midfield), Pete Geoghan (Midfield), Travis Evernham (Defense), Alan Warren (Defense), Carter Kelly (Defense)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Owen Brackett, Sr., Forward (14 goals, 6 assists)

August Zaleski, So., Forward

Jake Bennett, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 2 assists)

Matei Cojocariu, Jr., Midfield

Jaden Molina, Jr., Midfield

James Thorn, Jr., Midfield

Justin Kasmer, Sr., Defense

Joe Grzankowski, Sr., Defense

Joe Piereth, Sr., Defense

Dylan Williamson, Jr., Defense

Dylan Rojo, Sr., Goalkeeper; Connor Lee, Sr., Goalkeeper

 

Other Players

Pat Amodeo, Jr., Midfield

Dylan Geoghan, Jr., Defense

Alex Likakis, So., Defense

 

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5. Freehold Boro

A young, inexperienced group got a taste of winning and postseason play at the end of 2024 and now the returning group at Freehold Boro is hungry for even more. Mike Faller’s return from injury was a major catalyst in a late-season surge, so replacing him will be priority No. 1 for Freehold Boro.

The good news is there is not much more to replace beyond Faller. Ten players return with starting experience, including six players who scored at least one goal and combined for 19. Ryan Dominguez (five goals), Kristian Jaku (four) and Humberto Hernandez (four) are back to lead the attack, with senior Michael Hughes leading a midfield that includes returning juniors Ade Franklyn and Jaden Misquith, plus sophomore Klodian Jaku.

Joe Haney, Jason Melone and Cole Turner lead an all-senior defense in front of senior goalkeeper Cade Cascone, who should come under less fire this season with a more proven group of 10 playing in front of him. With all that experience back and an NJSIAA Tournament playoff berth to its credit in 2024, Freehold Boro is set up to end a 22-match winless streak against division opponents and move up the B North ranks.

Freehold Boro at a Glance

Head Coach: Mike Parshelunis, eighth season
2024 Record: 6-14-2 (0-5-1, seventh in Class B North)
SCT Group: 6 (Manalapan, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Boro, Lakewood)
Key Losses: Mike Faller (Forward), Angel Tlacoxolal (Goalkeeper), John Ward (Defense)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Kristian Jaku, Sr., Forward (4 goals, 2 assists)

Ryan Dominguez, Sr., Midfield (5 goals, 1 assists)

Humberto Hernandez, Jr., Midfield (4 goals)

Michael Hughes, Sr., Midfield (2 assists)

Ade Franklyn, Jr., Midfield (2 goals, 2 assists)

Klodian Jaku, So., Midfield (3 goals)

Jaden Misquith, Jr., Midfield (1 goal, 2 assists)

Joe Haney, Sr., Defense

Jason Melone, Sr., Defense

Cole Turner, Sr., Defense

Cade Cascone, Sr., Goalkeeper (1 shutout)

 

Other Players

Ben Duchovney, Sr., Midfield

Justin Garcia Zepeda, Sr., Forward

Alfonso Martinez-Analco, Sr., Defense

Christian Cuautle, Jr., Midfield

 

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6. Matawan

With only three starters to replace and a returning group that balanced out the playing time a season ago, Matawan returns with a full starting lineup of experienced varsity players – most of whom started at least one game for coach Will Carl in his first season at the helm. There is a bulk of scoring to replace with the graduation of leading scorer Nico Skeete (nine goals), but the Huskies will make up for it with balance and improving chemistry.

Four players return with two goals scored in 2024, led by Sean Sobocinski – who also added four assists. Junior Ergi Gjino, senior Gavin Heyward and junior Niccolas Romero each scored two goals as well and will all contribute near the top of the attack, with Heyward and Romero playing in the midfield.

Gavin Veres is back in goal as a senior this season and will be protected by a young, emerging group of defenders who all played as underclassmen a year ago. Juniors Anthony Attardi, Derek Busch and Kian Callueng will lead the back line, with sophomore Edward Gleason coming off a promising varsity season as a freshman. Goal-scoring will be a question for the Huskies, but they have the depth and developing talent to get back to defending the goal in 2025.

Matawan at a Glance

Head Coach: Will Carl, second season
2024 Record: 3-15 (1-5, sixth in Class B North)
SCT Group: 3 (CBA, Toms River East, Manchester, Barnegat)
Key Losses: Nico Skeete (Forward), Evan Coco (Defense), Anders Nielsen (Sr., Midfield)

Potential Starters (2024 Stats)

Returning Starters in Bold

Sean Sobocinski, Sr., Forward (2 goals, 4 assists)

Ryan Hart, Jr., Forward/Midfield

Ergi Gjino, Jr., Forward/Midfield (2 goals, 1 assist)

Gavin Heyward, Sr., Midfield (2 goals, 1 assist)

Niccolas Romero, Jr., Midfield (2 goals)

Youssed Marcos, Jr., Midfield

Anthony Attardi, Jr., Defense

Derek Busch, Jr., Defense

Kian Callueng, Jr., Defense

Edward Gleason, So., Defense

Gavin Veres, Sr., Goalkeeper (1 shutout)

 

Other Players

Mark Mallozzi, Sr., Midfield

John Lopa, Sr., Defense

Mahrous Petrous, Jr., Midfield

Francisco Ramirez, Sr., Forward

Logan Beebe, Sr., Midfield

Robert Andreacci, Sr., Defense

Chris Bautista, Sr., Defense

 

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7. St. Rose

St. Rose graduated almost all of its 2023 starting lineup heading into 2024 and also had to deal with a hellish schedule in the Class A Central division, as well as in a rugged Shore Conference Tournament pod. The result was a four-win season that closed with a win over Class C South champion Brick Memorial and a tough, 2-1, road loss to Holy Cross Prep in the NJSIAA Tournament.

Another silver lining to swallowing 14 losses a season ago is that St. Rose moves to a Class B North division that should present an opportunity to be more competitive than last year’s loaded Class A Central slate. Freehold Boro and Matawan will be games St. Rose can circle as an opportunity for wins, while the Purple Roses can take their shot at Freehold Township, Red Bank and Raritan with five returning starters.

Center midfielder Matt Dayton and center back Dan Penkethman were contributors on the 2023 team that reached a second straight South Jersey Non-Public B final, while junior winger Ben Tilley, senior forward Owen Moran and sophomore defender Jack Penkethman all return coming off productive seasons as starters in 2024.

St. Rose at a Glance

Head Coach: Brian Swider, second season
2024 Record: 4-14-1 (0-6, seventh in Class A Central)
SCT Group: 4 (Central, Rumson-Fair Haven, Middletown North, Donovan Catholic)
Key Losses: Henry McLean (Defense)

Returning Starters (with 2024 Stats)

Owen Moran, Sr., Forward (5 goals)

Ben Tilley, Jr., Forward/Midfield

Matt Dayton, Sr., Midfield (3 goals, 3 assists)

Dan Penkethman, Sr., Defense

Jack Penkethman, So., Defense

 

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Class B North Starting XI

Alex Salvo, Red Bank

Thomas Silva, Long Branch

Owen Brackett, Raritan

Christopher De Oliveira Santos, Long Branch

Brandon Mendoza, Long Branch

Gabe Bormolini, Freehold Twp.

Ryan Dominguez, Freehold Boro

Jackson Whitehead, Red Bank

Bobby Lockard, Freehold Twp.

Jordan Vieira, Long Branch

Gerardo Rodas, Long Branch (Goalkeeper)