VOTE: Week 2 Shore Conference Boys Soccer Player of the Week
Look Back: Week 1 SSI Player of the Week Winner
Alex Salvo, Red Bank
Salvo got off to a scorching start thanks to a huge game on opening day. The junior midfielder posted four goals and an assist in Red Bank’s 6-0 win over St. Rose and continued to showcase the scoring touch into Red Bank’s second game. Salvo scored another goal in the Bucs’ 6-3 loss to Raritan to cap a five-goal week. Salvo collected 42 percent of the vote to beat out Toms River East senior Brandon Dacunha (37 percent).
Week 2 Players of the Week
Check out the seven Shore Conference divisional players of the week, plus three wild cards, and pick the top performer as the SSI Player of the Week for Week 2 (Sept. 9 through 15). Vote in the poll at the end of the this post once per hour through the deadline at 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
Class A North Player of the Week
Stepan Kapranov, Holmdel
The reigning Shore Conference Player of the Year carried Holmdel to two wins last week, starting with two goals and three assists in a 6-1 win over Ranney and finishing off with the golden goal during a 1-0 Hornets win over Long Branch.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Tye Maser, Howell; Jake Langella, Marlboro; Tyler Borenstein, Howell; Luke D’Angelo, Rumson-Fair Haven; Cruz Farkas, Manasquan
Class A Central Player of the Week
Ethan Lustig, Manalapan
Lustig put up two hat tricks last week and the second of the two could be considered a clutch hat trick. The first came in a 4-1 win over St. John Vianney and the second game in a 4-3 win over Jackson Memorial in which the Braves erased an early 2-0 lead.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Josiah Stepney, Middletown North; Sean Moore, Colts Neck; Brett Denery, Middletown South; Paul Que, Middletown North; Matteo Niglio, Middletown South
Class A North Player of the Week
Ilyas Ciltepe, Central
Central did not quite crack the top 10 this week, but the Golden Eagles played like a team that will be there in short order. Ciltepe has been a creator and a scorer from the midfield, evidenced by his four goals last week. The last two came in a 2-1, overtime win over rival Toms River East.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Luke Bodziak, Toms River East; Aidan Donnelly, Southern; Sean Hankins, Point Boro; Kaan Zenger, Southern; Josh Brazier, Toms River North; Sean Cohn, Jackson Memorial; Tommy Renkin, Toms River East
Class B North Player of the Week
Connor Shaw, Ocean
Even in losing at No. 1 Howell last week, Ocean was as impressive as any team in the Shore Conference last week. Shaw scored in all three Spartans games, finishing a goal each vs. Howell and Southern while also racking up a hat trick vs. Freehold Boro.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Jadyn DeRosa, Shore; Owen Brackett, Raritan; Leon Leon, Ocean
Class B Central Player of the Week
Rob Sherman, Monmouth
The second player on this list to post hat tricks in back-to-back games, Sherman helped Monmouth bounce back from a season-opening loss by putting up back-to-back three-goal games vs. Ewing and Asbury Park.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Trey Cummings, Red Bank; Saaed Torres, Ranney; Eddie Magherini, Ranney; Alex Flores, Red Bank
Class B South Player of the Week
Anthony Johnson, Toms River South
The fifth of five players to score at least two goals in a game twice last week, Johnson led two Toms River South wins over Lacey and Freehold Township. Johnson scored two goals and assisted another in the 3-1 win over the rival Lions and then scored both in a 2-1 win over Freehold Township in SCT Group Play.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Rich Kosek, Jackson Liberty; Kervin Martinez, Lakewood; Dylan Harper, New Egypt; Tanner Grozinski, Lacey
Class C South Player of the Week
Declan Smith, Brick Memorial
The Mustangs had a huge, 3-0 week that included wins over defending Class B South co-champion Manchester, rival Brick and a Class A North member team in Long Branch. Smith scored three goals last week, including game-winners against Manchester and Brick. Smith scored twice vs. his team’s crosstown rival, including the golden goal.
Class C South Honorable Mention: Dylan Ryan, Point Beach; Nate Scisco, Barnegat; Nate Stryker, Brick Memorial; Carl Loffredo, Brick; Dan DeMillio, Pinelands
Wild Cards
Luke Bodziak, Toms River East
Bodziak scored an equalizer in a 2-1, overtime loss for the Raiders at Central, then went for two goals and two assists in Saturday’s 8-1 win over St. Rose in SCT group play.
Josiah Stepney, Middletown North
During a 3-0 week by his team, Stepney scored in each of the wins, including two-goal games against both St. Rose and Barnegat. For the week, the senior striker went for five goals and an assist.
Tye Maser, Howell
Maser was Howell’s star in a 4-3 win over Ocean to open the Rebels’ season. Maser pushed up to forward mid-game and delivered two goals and an assist, with Maser poking in both the game-tying and game-winning goals against the Spartans.
