Shore Conference Boys Soccer 2024 Preview: Class C South
Now that the Shore Conference is arranging divisions by recent power-point performance rather than school size, it was inevitable that in year one, there would be a division full of teams coming off losing seasons. Class C South is that division this season, with all six of its new members finishing below .500 in 2023.
A turnaround from sub-.500 to a division champion is rare and at least one of these teams will accomplish that feat this season. Brick Memorial, Pinelands and Brick have the advantage of being Group III schools and Brick Memorial has the additional advantage of coming from a Class A South division in which it played some competitive games against top Shore Conference teams – albeit without winning any of those division games. Point Pleasant Beach, meanwhile, is the C South team that had the best record in 2023 while playing in Class B Central and is returning the bulk of its scoring.
The C South field will be wide open and breaking into the Shore Conference Tournament knockout stage will be challenging for all six teams, but at least one of these six teams will be a division champion coming off a down year.
In predicted order of finish
1. Brick Memorial
The outlook for Brick Memorial’s season changed dramatically with its move from the Class A South division into the newly-formed Class C Central. The Mustangs played their share of competitive games with a young team but could not come up with a win. They did, however, notch three draws against a challenging A South field and are set to bring back most of the scoring from 2023.
Forwards Landon Amalfa and Nate Stryker each scored five goals a year ago, with Stryker doing so as a freshman. The midfield is also back, led by seniors Mason Muolo and Juan Bahos. Juniors Elin Torres and Paul DeRosa return to the middle of the formation as well, which gives Brick Memorial six players at the head of the formation that combined for 13 goals and six assists.
Senior Declan Smith and junior Mike Alaimo will be the defensive leaders to go with senior Mike Sura and sophomore Nick Stryker rounding out the four-man defensive unit. Smith was also an adept scorer as a junior, although with new goalkeeper Ryan Wheeler replacing a capable former starter in Justin Perrin, he will be extra focused on protecting the net. The returning group was set to power Brick Memorial to a better record in 2024 regardless of which division the Mustangs were placed and the draw of Class C Central, a division championship is now possible as well.
Brick Memorial at a Glance
Head Coach: Tom Lecorchick, second season
2023 Record: 3-10-3 (0-4-3, seventh in Class A South)
SCT Group: E (Long Branch, Southern, Ocean, Asbury Park)
Key Losses: Robert Carroll (Defense), Justin Perrin (Goalkeeper), Mike Heptig (Defense), Aiden Marotta (Defense), Ben Idzahl (Defense)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Landon Amalfa, Jr., Forward (5 goals)
Nate Stryker, So., Forward (5 goals)
Juan Bahos, Sr., Midfield (1 goal)
Paul DeRosa, Jr., Midfield (1 assist)
Mason Muolo, Sr., Midfield (2 goals, 3 assists)
Elin Torres, Jr., Midfield (2 assists)
Mike Sura, Sr., Midfield
Declan Smith, Sr., Defense (3 goals, 2 assists)
Mike Alaimo, Jr., Defense
Nick Stryker, So., Defense
Ryan Wheeler, Jr., Goalkeeper
Other Players
Joe Torres
John Acevedo
Brody Marotta
Mosiah Aparicio
2. Pinelands
Following a 1-10-2 season in 2022, Pinelands was desperate to regain the winning feeling that the program had come to know during a streak of eight straight winning seasons from 2014 to 2021. The Wildcats did not reach a winning record, but they did improve significantly while setting themselves up for another run at a division this season in their new Class C South home.
Replacing 14-goal-scorer Matt Sarfo will be the foremost challenge for this year’s roster, which will try to cover those lost goals by committee. Senior Dan DiMilio and junior Peyton Auermuller each scored multiple goals last season and will be two of the players at the front of the Pinelands attack. Junior Lance Heuston, sophomore Max Taurgrasso and senior Atticus Evinson-Behrman all played in the varsity midfield last season, with Heuston coming back as a starter. Alexandros Kontogiannis, Acim Savich and freshman Stevie Leek will mix in at the other midfield spot, while junior Mike DeMilio can pair up with his brother up top when the Wildcats would like an extra forward on the field.
Senior Max Ramos and juniors Peyton Simonici and Alex Dudas all return to the defense and will again work with returning junior goalkeeper Jake Miller. Juniors James Maleski and Matt Martin will also play in the back and senior Walter Torres is also in the mix. There is some scoring to replace, but that defense, the experienced goalkeeping and the balance of the attack should get Pinelands closer to a winning record and, perhaps, back in the Shore Conference Tournament.
Pinelands at a Glance
Head Coach: Jim Campbell, third season
2023 Record: 6-10 (2-5, tied fifth in Class B South)
SCT Group: G (Marlboro, Wall, New Egypt, Neptune)
Key Losses: Matt Sarfo (Forward), Dan Eberlin (Midfield), Ian Cahill (Midfield), Alex Aguilar (Defense), Andrew Landon (Midfield), Will Sisco (Midfield/Forward), Andrew Albright (Defense)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Dan DeMilio, Sr., Forward (3 goals)
Peyton Auermuller, Jr., Forward/Midfield (2 goals)
Lance Heuston, Jr., Midfield (1 assist)
Alexandros Kontogiannis, Jr., Midfield
Max Taurgrasso, So., Midfield (1 goal)
Atticus Evinson-Behrman, Sr., Midfield (2 assists)
Peyton Simonici, Jr., Defense
Max Ramos, Sr., Defense
Alex Dudas, Jr., Defense
Jake Miller, Jr., Goalkeeper
Other Players
Walter Torres, Sr., Defense
Michael DeMilio, Jr., Forward
James Maleski, Jr., Defense
Matt Martin, Jr., Defense
Jacob Soliman, Jr., Defense
Acim Savich, So., Midfield
Stevie Leek, Fr., Midfield
3. Point Pleasant Beach
The Garnet Gulls featured another young roster in 2023 and while that did not get them a public division championship in Class B Central nor a winning record, it gave several of Point Beach’s young standouts a chance to showcase their considerable ability. Now, Point Beach returns a group of seven starters that includes its two top scorers in 2023, two additional midfielders, two defenders and a goalkeeper.
Dylan Ryan and Brody Powers combined for 27 goals and 10 assists as underclassmen a year ago – Ryan as a sophomore and Powers as a freshman. The two will again be the focus of Point Beach’s attack, with senior Cody Monticello and sophomore Landon Hoberman also back in the midfield. Senior Richard Pokorny and freshman Evan Hajeski are the two newcomers to the attack – Pokorny up top and Hajeski in the midfield.
Seniors Logan Batyr, Bennett Mayer and Landon Schultz return to the defensive side of the field and will lead a back four in front of a third-year starter in goal. Junior Bennett Moberg has been solid between the posts for Point Beach since his freshman season and completes a lineup that has a diversity of skills among its field players. Point Beach is probably the only team in the field that might be facing a tougher overall division schedule this season, but the Garnet Gulls showed last year in tying St. Rose and winning three games outside of B Central that they are ready for this change.
Point Beach at a Glance
Head Coach: John Palumbo, third season
2023 Record: 7-9-3 (4-1-2, third in Class B Central)
SCT Group: D (Toms River North, Freehold Twp., Toms River South, Matawan)
Key Losses: Ronan Lynch (Forward), Ryan Pasola (Midfield), Jimmy Borowski (Defense), Thomas Schulter (Defense)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Dylan Ryan, Jr., Forward (12 goals, 6 assists)
Richard Pokorny, Sr., Forward
Brody Powers, So., Midfield/Forward (15 goals, 4 assists)
Cody Monticello, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 5 assists)
Landon Hoberman, So., Midfield (2 goals, 1 assist)
Evan Hajeski, Fr., Midfield
Logan Batyr, Sr., Defense (2 goals)
Bennett Mayer, Sr., Defense (5 assists)
Landon Schultz, Jr., Defense
Jack Morgan, Fr., Defense
Bennett Moberg, Jr., Goalkeeper (3 shutouts)
Other Players
Tyler Morgan, Fr.
Ryan Kormin, Jr.
4. Brick
The Green Dragons find themselves in a predicament like the one Pinelands is in heading into the season. Brick graduated a top scorer in Mateusz Torba (nine goals last year) that carried a large portion of the goal-scoring. Like Pinelands, Brick has strength in numbers when it comes to replacing its golden-toed forward, plus a more forgiving schedule that should allow for more wins.
Brick’s roster is heavy on juniors, both in quantity and quality. The junior trio of Carl Laffredo, Matt Rhodas and Anthony Martone combined for nine goals last year, with each scoring three. Gabrial Walters, Luis Lenor and Giano Godenzi round out an all-junior front six that will be tasked with starting and finishing Brick’s attack.
The Brick defense has senior influence with Santiago Valencia and Tristan Napolitano returning, plus Hunter Bailey joining the back four. Junior Issac Yallhuaman is the fourth defender and the seventh junior in the starting lineup. The eighth and final junior is among Brick’s best: Devin Baldwin is a standout goalkeeper who is heading into his third year in the varsity net. The experienced defense should be a stabilizing force for a Green Dragons side that could make a play for a long-awaited division title if the scoring comes.
Brick at a Glance
Head Coach: Tom Frazzitta, 10th season
2023 Record: 5-11-1 (1-6, tied seventh in Class B South)
SCT Group: C (Howell, Central, Shore, Red Bank)
Key Losses: Mateusz Torba (Forward), Josh Boyle (Midfield/Defense)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Matt Rhodas, Jr., Forward (3 goals)
Carl Laffredo, Jr., Midfield (3 goals)
Gabrial Walters, Jr., Midfield
Luis Lenor, Jr., Midfield
Giano Godenzi, Jr., Midfield
Anthony Martone, Jr., Midfield (3 goals)
Santiago Valencia, Sr., Defense
Tristan Napolitano, Sr., Defense
Issac Yallhuaman, Jr., Defense
Hunter Bailey, Sr., Defense
Devin Baldwin, Jr., Goalkeeper (2 shutouts)
Other Players
Gael Reyes, Jr., Midfield
Jude Norman, Sr., Defense
Jack Demann, Jr., Midfield
Alex Perez, Jr., Midfield
Diego Aldana, So., Defense
Ryan Paramonte, Jr., Midfield
J.D. Walters, Fr., Midfield
5. Barnegat
Count Barnegat among the Class C South teams that has a big-time scorer to replace while hoping an easier division schedule helps the returning players speed up the adjustment. The Bengals have a unique situation in that although they lose 10-goal scorer Julian Marfino, they are welcoming back a key player that was unable to play in 2023.
Leo Chamorro scored four goals as a freshman forward in 2022, but an injury knocked him out for his entire sophomore season. Chamorro returns to the top of the attack with sophomore Nat Sisco, who also scored four goals as a freshman. Junior Ethan Yllanes will also be a target up top for Chamorro and Sisco, as well as the Barnegat midfield. Seniors Joe and Nick Ficorilli will be the leaders in the middle, with junior Riley Stothelte adding to the group.
Barnegat will be experienced in the back as well, which includes the return of senior goalkeeper Kyle Wright. The senior trio of Cristian Chamorro, Owen Sisco and Logan Ryan will headline the defense, while junior Pablo Tapia slides into the vacant spot in the back of the formation. The mix of returning experience combined with the return of Leo Chamorro gives Barnegat an optimistic outlook in its new division, where the Bengals will try to win their first division championship in program history.
Barnegat at a Glance
Head Coach: Kevin Peters, sixth season
2023 Record: 5-12 (1-6, tied seventh in Class B South)
SCT Group: F (Point Boro, Middletown North, Lacey, Freehold Boro, Keyport)
Key Losses: Julian Marfino (Midfield/Forward), Jonathan Pari (Defense/Midfield), Joe Valles (Defense), Sean O’Neill (Midfield), Connor Zarenkiewicz (Midfield)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Ethan Yllanes, Jr., Forward (1 goal)
Leo Chamorro, Jr., Midfield/Forward (4 goals in 2022)
Nate Scisco, So., Midfield/Forward (4 goals, 4 assists)
Joe Ficorilli, Sr., Midfield
Nick Ficorilli, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 1 assist)
Riley Stothelte, Jr., Midfield
Cristian Chamorro, Sr., Defense (1 assist)
Owen Scisco, Sr., Defense
Logan Ryan, Sr., Defense
Pablo Tapia, Jr., Defense
Kyle Wright, Sr., Goalkeeper
Other Players
Donovan Paul, Goakeeper/Defense/Midfield
6. Donovan Catholic
The ending to the 2023 was not pretty for Donovan Catholic, which lost its final 10 matches and was outscored 22-1 over its final three. The new Class C South division should, however, provide some relief for the Griffins, who went 2-4 last season against teams that are now in Class C Central, including wins over Brick and Barnegat.
The schedule is one ingredient in what is likely to be a much better season for the Griffins, but the improvement of the roster should be part of it as well. The graduation of second-leading scorer Matt Fletcher will be an obstacle, but junior Max Durazzo is coming off a breakout season in which he led Donovan Catholic in scoring. Five sophomores are ticketed for the starting lineup as well, led by midfielder Charlie Yuro. Henry Rezai will be another sophomore scoring threat, while Dan Zaic, Nick Leone and Harrison Langella will be more defensive-minded sophomores.
Seniors Nick Carrara and Brody Levy will play key roles – Carrara up top and Levy as a leader on defense. Demitri Maugeri and Christian Dzialowski join Durazzo as junior starters with varsity experience in 2023. Goalkeeper Charlie Vidal is also a junior returnee after facing a firestorm of shots during the final stretch of the season. Chris Stroppoli, Sal Reynoso and freshman Connor Ryan will also factor into the gameplan for Donovan Catholic, which is coming off the worst season of the six Class B South but has just as much hope as the rest of its division mates to author a huge turnaround season.
Donovan Catholic at a Glance
Head Coach: Ken Lynch, second season
2023 Record: 2-13 (2-5, tied fifth in Class B South)
SCT Group: A (Holmdel, Toms River East, St. Rose, Ranney)
Key Losses: Matt Fletcher (Forward), Kevin Leny (Defense), Luke Stripolli (Midfield/Forward), Adam Bachanowicz (Forward), Nick O’Brien (Midfield), Matt Ryan (Defense/Midfield)
Potential Starters (returning starters in bold)
Nick Carrara, Sr., Forward/Midfield
Max Durazzo, Jr., Midfield/Forward (7 goals, 3 assists)
Christian Dzialowski, Jr., Midfield/Forward
Henry Rezai, So., Midfield/Forward (2 assists)
Charlie Yuro, So., Midfield (4 goals)
Demitri Maugeri, Jr., Midfield/Defense
Brody Levy, Sr., Defense
Dan Zaic, So., Defense
Nick Leone, So., Defense/Midfield
Harrison Langella, So., Defense/Midfield
Charlie Vidal, Jr., Goalkeeper/Lucas Bova, Sr., Goalkeeper
Other Players
Chris Strippoli, Jr., Defense/Midfield
Sal Reynoso, So., Midfield/Forward
Connor Ryan, Fr., Goalkeeper
