Rebuilding Year Does Not Damper Expectations for Panthers

As the summer months come to an end, it is time for the Bridgewater-Raritan athletic teams to prepare for the fall season. With opening day approaching, we're taking a look at each of the teams as they ready for competition. Today, we take a look at the Panthers boy’s soccer team.

OVERVIEW

The word "dynasty" has been thrown around when referring to the Bridgewater-Raritan boy’s soccer team. This season, Head Coach Rick Szeles will be leading a talented group that has a lot of new faces in key positions. It will be a rebuilding year with some growing pains for Szeles and the Panthers, but the veteran head coach is still optimistic about his team’s upcoming season.

LAST SEASON’S RESULTS

The Panthers finished the season 19-2. The two losses came in the Somerset County final and then in the Group IV North 2 Sectional final. The team finished ranked 19th in the "Star Ledger" ranking and 10th in the coach’s poll. With nearly an entire roster of seniors getting the majority of playing time, the class of 2010 was collectively one of the most consistent groups to play under Szeles.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON

•Sal Vitello, Forward (Sr.)—His toughness and speed make him a tough matchup for opposing defenses. He was also one of the only underclassman that saw significant playing time last year.

•Eli Adams, Forward/Midfield (Sr.)—Will have to compliment Vitello up top to form a dangerous Panther attack.

•Chris Hall, Def/Midfield (Sr.)—One of the team captains, will need to show that leadership to help bolster the defensive unit.

•Josh Kasman, Defense/Midfleild (Sr.)—According to Szeles, he has been “excellent” so far as the team’s stopper.

•Zak Jones, Forward (Sr.)—More known for his role as the lacrosse goalie, adds depth to the Panther roster as he comes off the bench.  Jones will look to be a goal scorer for this year’s Bridgewater team.

THEY’LL MISS

•Derek Luke—Coming off a spine injury, the versatile midfielder will be taking his talents to Monmouth University,

•Mike Horan—Horan was a tough defender that brought both leadership and brains to the Panther defense.  He is now playing for Montclair State.

•Tommy Miller—Another member of the defense that will need to be replaced in order for the Panthers to get back to the sectional final.

COACHES TAKE

“Our seniors were a great group from last year. I had almost all seniors playing and only had four underclassmen that played varsity for any length of time. It has been a rebuilding season for us and we have been focusing on rebuilding the defense. Offensively with Sal Vitello, Eli Adams and Dave Monahan we're pretty sound. If we build the defense and get consistent play out of our goalie, we can have a good season.”—Szeles

THEY SAID IT

“As always, we want to do as well as we can and win a state championship. This year, I think we will be really good because we don’t have any real stand-out players, but we play well together. Our chemistry is important because it's more of a feeling when we play. Because of this, we know where guys are going to be when we have the ball and it really helps us maintain possession.—Senior captain Chris Hall

2011 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN BOYS SOCCER ROSTER

Number(s)

Name

Position

Grade

14

Eli Adams

Frd/Mid

12

9

Tyler Almeida

Frd/Mid

12

40

Matt Caparaso

GK

12

10

Roger Castle

Frd.

12

22

Thomas Chong

Mid

12

6

Chris Hall

Def/Mid

12

19

Nick Jones

Mid

12

8

Zak Jones

Frd

12

43

Alex Kaminetzky

Gk

12

17

Josh Kasman

Def/Mid

12

16

Keanen Kolak

Frd

12

5

Justin Madrigal

Frd

12

2

Dave Monahan

Mid/Frd

12

15

Ethan Nestel

Def/Mid

12

11

Dan Picciurro

Def/Mid

12

13

Robbie Pietrucha

Def

12

12

Dylan Reilly

Def/Mid

12

18

Tim Shanagher

Frd

12

7

Sal Vitello

Frd

12

1

Evan Cohen

Mid

11

23

Ryan Pearce

Def/Mid

11

41

Scott Prisco

GK

11

27

Kevin Horan

Def/Mid

11

25

Patrick Masur

Mid/Frd

11

4

Robert Bonjione

Def

11

21

Drew Ungerleider

Mid

11

Arron Klug

Def

11

42

Amit Mohan

GK

10

20

Tyler Stevens

Def

10

*Bridgewater Patch is previewing the biggest sports as the seasons begin the end of this week. Here's what we got in previews coming up this week:

Thursday—Today, we check in with the girls soccer team as they prepare to get down to business.

Friday—The first big game of the season is Friday, and we start off the day with a preview of the Bridgewater-Raritan High School football team. 

In case you missed it:
Tuesday—We looked at the field hockey team’s goal to improve its record this year.