Boys soccer: North Jersey team-by-team previews for the 2023 season
The boys soccer season begins this week in North Jersey. Here's a look at the teams around the region.
Big North American
Cliffside Park (13-2-3): The Red Raiders will have a revamped lineup after losing 14 seniors and all but two starters: defender Skylar Saric and striker Henry Valles. Coach Carmine Cambareri feels his team strength will be the young players hungry to crack the lineup after five straight division titles.
Dumont (2-13): The Huskies have their third coach in three seasons with Edmond Drishti taking over the program. Senior centerback Colin Bischer and sophomore midfielder Maximus Drishti will be key in their rebuild.
Fort Lee (8-9-2): The Bridgemen aren't satisfied after a rare losing season and turn to seniors Kaito Shinoda and Daniel Lee on offense to dig them out. Sophomore Gordon Cheng is a divisional second-teamer who will man the defense with Samuel Choi.
Big North Freedom
Northern Highlands (7-10): The Highlanders would like to be competitive on all three levels with six starters back. Senior Aidan Dario is one of the top defenders in the Freedom and senior newcomers Trevor Fennell and Max Raman will add to the equation.
Paramus (8-11-1): The Spartans reached the Bergen Cup finals last year and have a similar look now with eight returning starters. Leading scorer Valon Kabashi is part of the foundation with senior forward Dallas Cacciato and senior defender Saverio Capolupo.
Ramapo (15-0-2): The Raiders brought back six starters from their Bergen County title run, starting with top scorer Damian DeLisio and his forward linemate Albert Carilli. Senior stopper Jacob Marcos and senior goalie Antonio Spina solidify Ramapo in the back after allowing 10 goals all last season.
Ridgewood (9-7-2): The Maroons made it to the Bergen County final last year and the belief is this team could be even better with brothers Cameron and Aidan Linnington a year older. Senior Parker Wilson and junior Trevor Rose return on defense to protect a new starting goalie.
Big North Independence
Fair Lawn (9-4-4): The chase for a third straight Independence title will fall on a young but energetic group that's impressed coach Matt Cecconi with their intensity in practice. Bergen County second-team goalie Josh Bells is someone you can build around and fellow juniors Nick Jimenez, Ben Braudo and Andrew Salnikov will be his supporting cast.
Lakeland (7-12-1): The Lancers are pushing for a league title with experience across the field and in goal with four-year starter Victor Ciach. Seniors John Gurrieri and Piotr Widerynski will direct the mifield.
Wayne Hills (8-7-2): The Patriots will be a young team reliant on Adem Ademi and Zack Ritkes on offense and senior centerback Ethan Russ on defense. Finding more ways to score will be key to another winning season.
Wayne Valley (12-5-2): The Indians figure to be in the race for a league title with sophomore goalie Sebastian Sianozecki patrolling the crease once again. Senior captain Caden Flower lends a hand at centerback and the Ibraimis, Dean and Pajtim, are technical ball-winners.
West Milford (8-12): The Highlanders will be young with five sophomore starters, but coach Ray Ferriola believes his team will be more competitive in league play. Seniors Carlos Banks is a skilled defender and sophomores Nick Bognar and Noah Christian are at the forefront of their youth movement.
Big North Liberty
Clifton (16-2-1): The Mustangs have a deep lineup with forward Vitalii Datsyk and 19 others back after winning the Liberty and reaching county and sectional finals. Senior Cameron Zutic looks to build on a solid season in goal alongside senior leaders Kamil Ozga and Wiktor Kiszkiel.
Kennedy (11-7): The Knights are riding high after winning their first county title in 26 years, but new coach Paul Giglio knows there's work to be done after graduating a dozen players. Seniors Pedro Lanchipa and Macedonia Sereno (midfield) and Ediel Chirino (defense) will be front and center.
Passaic (8-9-2): The Indians look to get back on course after breaking a string of five straight winning seasons. Seniors Oscar Gomez and Yair Candia were primary scoring threats last year and senior Daniel Cuacuil made Honorable Mention in the Liberty.
Passaic Tech (12-7-1): The Bulldogs will need to develop a new offense and starting goalie after winning the Vo-Tech title last year in coach Dan Bellet's debut. Seniors Aldair Gallardo, Sebastian Sobkow and Joseph Tobon will steer the ship for a team vying for a higher league finish.
Big North National
Bergenfield (7-11-2): The Bears come into the season with a positive outlook with some experience and technical ability to work with. The roster is highlighted by four players who earned division accolades: senior midfielders Irasel Sawyers and Justin Trenado and senior defenders Juan Rojo and Cristian Perez.
Demarest (12-6-1): The Norsemen are back on the map after three years near the top of the rankings. Senior Alex Jacob will look to uphold their tradition of strong defense while Ryan Cohen, Joe Monaco and Adrian Cami will ignite the offense.
Pascack Valley (14-4-2): The National co-champs still have high aspirations after losing 19 seniors from their run to the sectional final. Senior Ethan Perlman will lead a brand new defense while Steven Gifford, Robert Wasserman and Dan Lin will power the offense.
Old Tappan (9-7): The Golden Knights showed flashes of greatness last year and hope to put it all together now with depth at all positions. Senior forward Kevin Contreras (18 goals, 3 assists) is one of the game's top scorers and joins senior defender Goran Saric and senior midfielder Tyler Chiu on their title quest.
Teaneck (1-17): The Highwaymen are hoping to turn the page on a tough season and win more of their crossovers. Senior goalie Jaccard Simmons will hold it down in the back after being named the top keeper in the league last season.
Tenafly (11-5-2): The Tigers will have to adapt to some big changes on offense, but coach Michael Carrasquilla still anticipates having a technical team in his second year. Elliott Yoon and Nicholas Vaimakis are the main men in the middle and senior Christian Carrillo will set the tone on defense.
Big North Patriot
Indian Hills (4-15): The Braves are hoping to climb back over .500 after dealing with a bunch of injuries last season. Junior forward Dylan Biernacki is back after missing a year with a broken foot and will spark the offense with seniors Caden Concepcion, Michael Caso and Colin Kamm.
Mahwah (2-14): The Thunderbirds expect to break out of their two-year slump with an experienced group that's had time to mesh together. Seniors Dylan Stark, Brandon Diaz, Erion Rizvani and Ryan Lora headline the roster.
Pascack Hills (14-6): The Broncos have been one of most improved teams over the last two years and appear to have another competitive group that plays well together. Senior Michael Chelney poured in 13 goals last season and seniors Zachary Goldman and Nicholas Frangiosa are effective players.
Ramsey (19-3-1): The Rams will shoot for their fourth straight sectional title with an accomplished group in the back led by goalie Steven De Pinto and defenders Patrick Weir and Max Nierenberg. Senior forward Luke Ernst will be a major weapon up top in a new-look offense.
River Dell (9-6-1): The Golden Hawks will challenge for the league title with a top-notch goalie in senior Jonah Nippes. Coach John Graham singled out freshmen Noah Rybak and Ethan Wigdor as two up-and-comers to keep an eye on.
Big North United
Bergen Catholic (15-5-1): The Crusaders will be one of the top teams in North Jersey after winning the United and reaching a sectional final a year ago. Defenders Cosimo Tristani and Joseph Lee came over from the academy side and enhance a senior core with forward Sebastian Ortega, goalie Andrew Blodgett and midfielder Ryan Chong.
Don Bosco (8-7-1): The Ironmen have the potential to achieve more with a balanced lineup and seniors Noah Grenados and Shahan Zamanian-Rad in the midfield. Sophomore Lucian Yu and senior Luke Eitner will propel the defense as two of their team's seven returning starters.
Paramus Catholic (4-12): Only two starters return for the Paladins and new coach Joseph Gyulay, who slides over after leading the school's girls program. Senior Joseph Tingo will be key in the midfield and senior Camilo Botero has shown promise.
NJIC American
Elmwood Park (15-4): The Crusaders went on a magical run last year as the division co-champs and the challenge now is to replicate it without North Jersey Scoring Champion Alex Hlawacz. Juniors Damian Halat and Joshua Rosadio will facilitate the play in the midfield.
Garfield (15-4): Coach Piotr Sala starts his first year with the Boilermakers and inherits most of the star power from their run to the Bergen County quarterfinals. Senior forward Brendan Baeza will have a trio of all-league midfielders feeding him passes: senior Johannes Alvarez and juniors Krystian Nitek and Leland Gonzalez.
Lodi (6-10): The Rams took their lumps last year with a young team but feel like they have enough depth and versatility now to contend. Forward Leonit Karaqica is the top returning scorer in the league and he's backed by seniors Daniel Fonseca and Ergyn Doko.
Manchester (7-10): The Falcons scripted one of the biggest turnarounds last year, going from a winless team to their best win total in more than a decade. Senior scorers David and Adrian Reyes will now take a shot at a division title along with juniors Christian Castaneda and Matias Moran Lara.
Saddle Brook (4-12-3): The Falcons are looking to be competitive in every match after an up-and-down 2022 season. Senior Pietro Stefano and sophomore Martin Tupanceski will be counted on in the midfield and goalie Damian Soltys is a newcomer to watch.
NJIC Colonial
Butler (0-18): The Bulldogs only graduated four players, so new coach Michael Bower comes in with a sense that much better days are ahead. Sophomores Oscar Zacharski and Sotero Ramos will connect on offense with junior Sebastian Cruz as Butler bids to get back in the state tournament.
Eastern Christian (4-12-2): The Eagles will vie for a winning record with six starters back in action. Senior centerback Lukas Faasse and senior midfielder Manny Lazor are the main catalysts.
Glen Rock (16-3): The Panthers will try to repeat as league champions with an experienced lineup led by three Colonial first teamers: goalie Zach Sturiale, defender Jake Quigley and forward Taco Amano. How well they replace the top three scorers may be the defining question.
Hawthorne (7-10): The Bears will build through the center with Sami Maali back in goal and seniors Ben Mallory, Dylan Hansen and Jordan Mora calling shots in the midfield. Qualifying for the state tournament is on their to-do list.
Hawthorne Christian (11-8-2): Coach Tyler Van Dyk has some rebuilding to do this year, but often finds a way to squeeze the most out of a small roster. Senior captain Joel Walker will command the defense and junior Matt Mitchell moves up to midfield for a team that's produced nine winning seasons in the last decade.
Pompton Lakes (14-4-2): Coach Rob Edgar needs three wins to hit 200, and it won't take long with senior Andrew Armstrong filling the net. The return of senior goalie Ben Nakahara and senior midfielder Connor Mohan should keep the Cardinals near the top of the standings.
NJIC Liberty
Dwight-Englewood (10-9): The Bulldogs earned a share of the Liberty championship last season and seem to have a nice blend of attacking talent to spur their title defense. Jack Park and Jack Meserole will be key cogs in that offense and senior Alex Silbert will anchor the back row.
New Milford (11-8): The Knights will take aim at a division title after producing their first winning season since 2015. The lineup has a game-breaker up top in senior Martin Alpar (12 goals) and a formidable midfield led by Josh Spurlin, Nicolas Perez and Alex Irimia.
Palisades Park (5-12-2): Six starters return for the Tigers, who built up enough to have a full JV schedule for the first time this year. Senior goalie Alejandro Barragan is set to start for the third straight year and should get some run support from juniors Tyler Andrade and Josh Quiroa.
Ridgefield (10-7-1): The Royals broke out last season as the division co-champs, but lost their all-time leading scorer in Dino Radoncic. Expectations are still just as high with a fast lineup led by seniors Alessandro Osuna, Rami Nasser and Edwin Osuna.
NJIC Meadowlands
Becton (11-7): The Wildcats want to win their division and host a state match with senior Jasdeep Nagra leading the defense. Saif Ahmed and Steven Longo will be scoring threats up top and goalie Domenic Maucione returns.
Hasbrouck Heights (3-15): New coach Gioser Torrealba senses that his team has something to prove after the program's first losing season in almost a decade. Torrealba sees the midfield as a big plus with Chihiro Suenaga and Matthew Fermin back and got a boost with senior forward Anthony Squiciari coming over from MLS Next.
Wallington (14-7): The Panthers and new coach Robert Kruk are set up for success after a Cinderella run to the sectional final. Juniors David Chudzik and Eric Moroz are both volume scorers, junior Samuel Stanko is an underrated keeper and senior Jakub Dolecki leads the rebuilt back line.
Wood-Ridge (10-9-2): Coach Alberico DePierro is aiming high this fall with the goal of making it the best season in the program's 10-year history. Senior Salvatore Catanzaro is about to break the school scoring record, sophomore Chase LoPresti is back in goal and seniors Brian Harasek and Marcello Avila are productive midfielders.
NJIC National
Lyndhurst (10-5-2): Senior forward Tyler Wise will carry the torch for the Golden Bears after striking for 21 goals and eight assists last season. Isaac Camilo, Cyprian Niedbal and Robert Dasler bolster the midfield.
North Arlington (10-13): Coach Pedro Martinez joins the program this fall after three years up the road at Hasbrouck Heights. His objective is to improve the team's conference record after inheriting the top two scorers in Nicholas Stanzione and Vincent Richard.
Rutherford (15-3-3): Star senior forward Leo Sant'Ana and the Bulldogs are on the rise after making their first trip to the Bergen County quarterfinals. A balanced lineup stands behind him with midfielders Sean Doyle and Alex Jimenez and defender Gabriel Mendez.
Weehawken (5-15): The Indians are due to improve this year with a much older core in place for junior goalie Fraymer Fernandez. Seniors Theo Swanson and Jordan Russell and junior Jack Guerin will kickstart the offense after productive seasons in 2022.
NJIC Patriot
Cresskill (12-5): One of the top Group 1 programs in North Jersey has a new coach with Joe Sussman coming on to pursue a league title. Cayden Raymond and Nick Panullo pair up in a solid midfield and senior Bryan Hwang will stabilize the defense.
Emerson (9-9): The Cavos are looking to take a step forward with most of the lineup back including the top three scorers: juniors Michael Graf, Matthew Sabatella and Charles Caiola in the midfield. Senior Jeremy Lachman heads the defense.
Midland Park (3-15): The Panthers hope to make progress this season with senior Will Beckmann bringing speed and size at forward after leading the team in goals a year ago. Caleb Hosier and Alex Aguirre will support him on offense and senior Ethan Ludena will shift from a field player to net.
Park Ridge (10-5-2): The Owls are the defending co-champs in the Patriot but return only two starters: senior Thomas Ippolito and sophomore Chris Guerrero on offense. Coach Ryan Dennis still likes their depth and play up the middle with sophomore Sam Fasola called up from the bench.
Saddle River Day (1-12): The Rebels return most of the starting lineup and bring in new coach Micheal McCarthy, who likes the team's dedicated attitude. Juniors Michael Cicero and Noah Gurevich will help push the program forward.
Waldwick (15-4-3): Youth will be the theme this year for the back-to-back sectional champions with midfielder Jack Johnson as their only senior. The Warriors will call on returning goalie Axel Da Silva, sophomore centerback Erik Mazini and junior midfielder JJ Ruehlemann to carry on their excellent tradition.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ boys soccer: North Jersey team-by-team previews for 2023
