VOTE: Week 1 Boys Soccer Player of the Week
Each week, Shore Sports Insider will give the fans of the Shore Conference a chance to pick the Player of the Week from the last seven days (plus the last weekend in August). Below, we have selected a player of the week from each of the seven Shore Conference divisions, plus three wild cards — all of whom are candidates in this week’s contest. Read about the 10 nominees from Week 1 (Aug. 30 through Sept. 8) and vote at the bottom of the post for the one that deserves to be the overall Boys Soccer Player of the Week. Vote once per hour until the poll closes Wednesday at 10 p.m.
Class A North Player of the Week
Taylor Ryan, CBA
Ryan got the start up top for CBA and delivered two goals in the first 14 minutes at Bergen Catholic, sparking the Colts to an impressive, 5-2 win over the Crusaders.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Trevor Barrett, Marlboro; Jake Langella, Marlboro; Shayne Byrne, Manasquan; Jorge Cruz Cruz, Manasquan
Class A Central Player of the Week
Kyle Moore, Colts Neck
Moore and his younger brother, Sean, picked up where they left off a season ago by combining for seven of Colts Neck’s eight goals in the team’s first two matches. Kyle accounted for four goals – two in each game vs. Toms River South and Rumson-Fair Haven.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Robert Keegan, Wall; Christian Laverde, Manalapan; Sean Moore, Colts Neck; Ethan Dass, Manalapan; Jake Gershon, Colts Neck
Class A South Player of the Week
Aidan Donnelly, Southern
Freehold Township had no answer for Donnelly in the first half of its opening-day showdown with Southern, which the Rams won, 2-0, on two first-half strikes by Donnelly after pressuring the Patriots defense the entire half. Donnelly then scored a goal in Southern’s 4-0 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Brandon Dacunha; Toms River East Nick Prosperi, Southern; Brady Adams, Jackson Memorial; Tristan Nikitin, Jackson Memorial
Class B North Player of the Week
Sean Burnett, Raritan
Raritan scored 10 goals in two games during the first week of the season, with four players scoring two goals in a single game. Burnett and teammate Owen Brackett did it twice, with Burnett scored two goals in each of Raritan’s first two games – wins over Freehold Boro and Red Bank – while also adding an assist.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Owen Brackett, Raritan; Connor Shaw, Ocean; Pete Geoghan, Raritan; Mason Imbracio, Neptune; Mike Faller, Freehold Boro; Ryan Dominguez, Freehold Boro; Eion Davis, Raritan; Jadyn DeRosa, Shore
Class B Central Player of the Week
Alex Salvo, Red Bank
Salvo is off to a scorching start thanks to a huge game on opening day. The sophomore midfielder posted four goals and an assist in Red Bank’s 6-0 win over St. Rose, then scored another goal in the Bucs’ 6-3 loss to Raritan to cap the week.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Saaed Torres, Ranney; Andrew Torregrossa, Red Bank Catholic; Dain Salazar, Asbury Park; Matelson Louisius, Asbury Park
Class B South Player of the Week
Eric Balkius, Manchester
Balkius scored his first two varsity goals in Manchester’s season-opening, 5-2 win over Pinelands.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Tanner Grozinski, Lacey; Kevin Martinez, Lakewood
Class C South Player of the Week
Bennett Moberg, Point Beach
Dylan Ryan and Landon Hobermann provided the goals in a 2-0 Garnet Gulls win over Manchester, but it was Moberg that carried Point Beach to the finish line by making 13 saves in a shutout performance.
Class C South Honorable Mention: Nate Scisco, Barnegat
Wild Cards
Christian Laverde, Manalapan
Manalapan got the season off on the right foot with a 1-0 win over Middletown North and Laverde took care of the scoring 90 seconds into the match by executing a sliding finish on a cross from junior teammate Eduardo Russo.
Brandon Dacunha, Toms River East
In a game that featured few threats by either team, Dacunha authored a stunning ending to Toms River East’s 1-0 overtime win over Holmdel by spinning a 28-yard shot that skipped in for a golden goal in the 87th minute of the Shore Conference Tournament Group A game.
Trevor Barrett, Marlboro
Sticking with the theme of goals in 1-0 wins, Barrett came through for Marlboro by scoring the golden goal in the Mustangs’ 1-0 overtime win at Wall in a Shore Conference Tournament group play game.
