PITMAN, NJ --- Defending NJAC men’s soccer regular season champion Montclair State has garnered seven of the 10 possible first-place votes as the Red Hawks are predicted to finish first again in 2023, based on preseason polling of the conference’s 10 head coaches.
Defending conference champion Rowan picked up three first-place votes and is predicted to finish second this season. Rutgers-Newark is predicted third followed by dark horse selection Rutgers-Camden. Kean and Stockton came in at fifth and sixth, as they are predicted to vie for a conference tournament spot. Ramapo, TCNJ, NJCU, and William Paterson round out the preseason poll.
2023 NJAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
- Montclair State (7)
- Rowan (3)
- Rutgers-Newark
- Rutgers-Camden (dark horse)
- Kean
- Stockton
- Ramapo
- TCNJ
- NJCU
- William Paterson
MONTCLAIR STATE
MSU enters 2023 with a core group back from last year’s regular season champion squad. The Red Hawks recently experienced an exciting international trip to Munich, Germany, with the team gelling early. Between the additional training and the additions of quality transfers and freshmen, Head Coach Todd Tumelty is poised to get his team off to a good start to this season.
Offensively, two-time NJAC First Team pick and All-American Amer Lukovic returns as the top scoring threat. He posted a team-high 23 points on 11 goals and one assist, with his goals and points ranking fourth in the NJAC last year. He also notched five game-winning goals last year to rank second in the conference. He is joined by middie Anthony Viola, who looks to step up after contributing four goals last year while starting 17 of the 19 contests.
The Red Hawk defense should be tough to crack again this year. They were the top-ranked defense in the conference in 2022, with an NJAC-best team goals against average (0.67) after allowing just 14 goals all year and just six in conference action. Two-time NJAC First Team honoree and First Team All-Region pick Ian Chesney will anchor the back line along with fellow First Teamer and All-Region selection Enir Radoncic. Chesney is a scoring threat from the back line too, racking up 14 points on five goals and four helpers. Radoncic started all 18 games last year and chipped in a goal and assist as well.
Newcomers to Watch:
Salem Ellisy (M; Don Bosco Prep)
Dillon Ferber Z(M; Cedar Grove HS)
ROWAN
Between a strong group of returners from a team that rolled through the conference tournament last year along with a slew of talented transfers and freshmen, Head Coach Scott Baker is confident in his team’s ability to contend again in 2023.
The Profs lose some key scorers to graduation, but Johnny Troiano and Davide Caputo are expected to lead offensively this season. Troiano was tied for eighth in the NJAC in goals (5) and assists (4), racking up 14 points. Caputo, a midfielder, started 19 of 20 matches as a rookie last season and contributed four goals and an assist for nine points. Three of his goals were in spectacular fashion, registering a hat trick in the conference championship game as he drained all three goals in the 3-0 title victory.
Ryan Cleary brings experience to the Profs’ back line, as the center back started all 23 contests last season. He also chipped in a goal. Aiden McGuigan is expected to step into a bigger role on defense this year after starting 11 last year and playing in all 21.
Newcomers to Watch:
Sergio Sola (Tyler College)
Jason Barragan (Chestnut Hill College)
Tyler Guadagno (Wilmington University)
RUTGERS-NEWARK
A strong core returns for Rutgers-Newark and Head Coach Kevin East is excited about the incoming class, which he expects to make a major impact on raising the level of the team. The Scarlet Raiders will possess depth at each position as they look to make a run to the conference tournament this season.
Midfielder Pablo Moreno and forward Aslan Kat look to be a 1-2 scoring punch. They were tied last season for the second-highest point total on the team, both recording 11 points. Kat drained five goals and assisted on one, while Moreno scored four times and assisted on three more. Moreno started 19 of 22 contests last year; Kat played 17 games and started four, and is looking to jump into the starting role this season.
The Raider defense will be anchored by Marlon Rodriguez and Bryan Rodriguez. Marlon was a Second Team All-NJAC leftback last year who started 18 of the 19 games while chipping in a goal and assist. Bryan, a centerback, started all 19 contests and also contributed a goal and assist each from the back line.
Newcomers to Watch:
Darius Holmes (D/M; Union City)
Frank Lozano (D; Elizabeth)
Dylan Sousa (F; David Brearley)
Erick Cortes (F; Morris Hills)
RUTGERS-CAMDEN
Head Coach Tim Oswald’s squad will have fresh faces this season, after the program graduated 10 players from last year’s team that ran to the NJAC semifinals. The dark horse pick among the coaches for the preseason poll, Oswald is excited about the exceptionally talented recruiting class that aims to make an immediate impact.
The experienced defense will be key early as the new offense gels. The Scarlet Raptors return a trio of all-conference defenders, including Second Team keeper Sean Boen, Second Team back Eric Swen, and honorable mention back Pedro Jovel-Castro. Boen was third among NJAC keepers with a .823 save percentage last year and posted eight shutouts to lead the conference. Swen started 21 of 22 on the back line and Jovel-Castro started 19 while chipping in a goal and assist.
Rutgers-Camden regains the offensive services of Ethan Dreyer, who missed most of 2022 to injury. In 12 contests, Dreyer scored twice and assisted on another for five points.
Newcomers to Watch:
Nick Yurcho (D; St. Francis Brooklyn/Florence Township)
Liam Mulvey (M; Brookdale CC/Christian Brothers Academy)
Matt Conger (F; Shawnee)
KEAN
Kean looks to be in the mix for a conference tournament berth, and will have a strong mix of experienced returners and quality newcomers to make that run. Head Coach Peter-John Falloon looks to a talented group of rookies to vie for immediate time.
Falloon welcomes back All-American, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-NJAC midfielder Raonne Dias, who missed all of 2022. Dias will lead the offensive attack as he recorded a team-high 22 points on nine goals and four assists in 2021. Santiago Alzate, a First Team pick in 2022, is the leading returning scorer from last year’s squad. He drained five goals and assisted on two more for 12 points.
Defensively, the Cougars are experienced as well. Keeper Dominic Ridge, an all-conference selection two years ago, is back in net. He played over 1000 minutes last year and posted a .700 save percentage. Defensive mid Gabe Llanos brings experience after starting all 16 games last year and chipping in a goal from the back line.
Newcomers to Watch:
David Camargo (D; Drew University)
Roodlensckly Charles (M; St. Peter’s College)
Christian Torres (F; Chestnut Hill College)
STOCKTON
Head Coach Greg Ruttler’s Ospreys will be youthful this season with a majority of the squad either sophomores or freshmen.
Among the underclassmen is reigning NJAC Rookie of the Year Aiden Hoenisch, who was also a Second Team All-NJAC and Third Team All-Region pick in his first season in Galloway last year. He led the Ospreys with 15 points on five goals and five assists, with his five assists ranking tied for fifth among all NJAC players. Joseph P. Carbone was the second-leading scorer last season, scoring four goals and assisting on two more for 10 points.
Last year’s Osprey defense ranked third in the NJAC with a 1.22 goals against average. Dawson Joseph was among that strong back line, starting all 17 games he appeared in last year. Defensive mid Jake Homowitz looks to step up this season, playing in all 19 contests in 2022 as a reserve.
Newcomers to Watch:
Joseph A. Carbone (F; East Brunswick)
Juanpablo Candela (M; Howell)
Carter Bailey (M; Hammonton)
RAMAPO
Ramapo head coach DJ Pinton brings back a solid core of returners who will look to contend for the conference tournament again this season.
The offense is led by three-time all-conference honoree Ederson La Torre. Limited in action in 2022, La Torre contributed three goals in his eight starts.
Honorable Mention All-NJAC defender Jake Szatkowski looks to anchor the Roadrunner back line. Starting 11 of 14 he appeared in last season, Szatkowski also contributed three assists from the backfield.
TCNJ
Head Coach George Nazario brings in a talented class of transfers and freshmen who he expects will make for a competitive team this season. He also credits the strong nonconference schedule, including nationally ranked Messiah and 2022 NCAA participants NYU and Stevens, to help the team prepare for the rigors of the NJAC schedule.
Two-time All-NJAC forward Luke Pascarella will lead the offense once again. He was the Lions’ top scorer last year with 13 points on six goals and one assist. He ranked seventh in the NJAC in goals and eighth in overall points. He is joined by Bobby Hunter. The middie started 15 of 16 games last year and was third on the team with nine points on three goals and three assists.
Keeper Julian Franco returns to anchor the defense. He made 61 saves last year with two shutouts and played in over 1100 minutes. Leftback Ryan Phillips also brings experience to the back line, starting 16 of 17 last year.
Newcomers to Watch:
Dante Bettino (D; Hopewell Valley)
Chris Meder (F; Cherokee)
NJCU
NJCU returns every starter from a squad that qualified for the conference tournament, with first year head coach Brendan Guzman eager to build off of that momentum. Guzman takes over the helm after serving as NJCU’s top assistant from 2016-21 and as head coach of Division II Staten Island last season.
A pair of two-time all-conference forwards are back, including First Team striker Maximo Vargas. Vargas was the third-leading scorer in the NJAC last year, registering 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. In addition to ranking third in the conference in goals and points, he was also among the top 10 for assists. He is joined by wing Danny Tabon, who led all NJAC players with nine assists. Tabon tallied 15 total points on the nine assists along with three goals.
The Gothic Knights defense was the second-ranked defense in the conference last year both overall and in NJAC-only play. They allowed just 16 goals overall (0.80 GAA) and 10 in conference action. Anchoring the back line are all-conference defenders Jason Suarez and Anthony Salmeron. Suarez, a defensive center mid, started all 20 games last year and pitched in two assists. Salmeron, a centerback, started 14 of the 15 he played and added one goal.
Newcomers to Watch:
Tiago Alves (Wing; North Arlington)
Sebastian Perez (GK; Clifton)
WILLIAM PATERSON
Head Coach Matt Heitmann is pleased with his incoming class of recruits to go with a strong group of experienced returners.
Second Team All-Conference wing Diego Navas is back. He was WP’s leading scorer last year with nine points on four goals and one assists, and was tied for ninth in the NJAC in points. Daniel Youn joins him on the other wing, gaining experience last season with action in eight gams with five starts. He chipped in two goals.
Veteran keeper Thomas Hatch returns and is a two-time all-conference stopper who will anchor the Pioneer defense once again. Kyle Hanlon, a defensive center mid, looks to step into a strong defensive role this year after gaining experience in nine games last year with eight starts.
Newcomers to Watch:
Gianfranco Banca (M; St. Thomas Aquinas)
Jaden Blount (D; Piscataway)
Luca Misko (GK; FDU-Teaneck)