Off to college – Ocean County Observer
August 23, 2005
Off to college
Published in the Ocean County Observer 08/23/05
Staff report
A total of 55 individuals who have played for the various Jersey Shore Boca men’s soccer teams will play collegiate soccer this fall, Jersey Shore Boca Board of Directors member Walt Konopka said.
Twenty of these players will play NCAA Division I soccer, Konopka said. Thirteen of these players will be freshmen and making their collegiate soccer debuts and five Boca players, all of whom played on the Boca U20 team this summer, will be transferring from one school to another, according to Konopka.
Among the Boca players who will play Division I soccer this fall are Andrew Perez and Justin McGrath of Brick; Chris Konopka of Toms River and Jon Curry-Edwards of Spring Lake Heights. They were all members of the Boca U20 team this summer.
Perez, who will begin his sophomore year at LaSalle University, was named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year last year. He had seven goals, including two game-winners for the Boca U20s this summer.
McGrath, who will be a sophomore at Seton Hall University, led the Boca U20s in goals and total points with nine goals and three assists for 21 points.
Konopka, who will be a junior at Providence College, played in six games for the Boca U20s this summer and allowed five goals and recorded three shutouts. He had a goals against average of 0.83. He was also invited to practice with the MetroStars and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer throughout the summer.
Curry-Edwards, a sophomore at Old Dominion University, will be competing to be the starting goalkeeper for the No. 22-ranked preseason nationally-ranked Monarchs.
He played in nine games for the Boca U20s this summer. He had two shutouts and a 2.55 goals against average.
Leading Boca’s 2005 freshmen class are: Mark Schmiegel of Toms River, Bucknell University; Mark Petruniak of Hightstown, American University; Dan Brackley of Hamilton Township, Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University; Andrew Finger of South Harrison, Neumann (Pa.) College.
Four of the five Boca players who are changing colleges will move on from Ocean College. They are Sean Cahill of Whiting, West Virginia University; Justin Campbell of Point Pleasant, Manhattan College; Andrew Hawtin of Toms River, Syracuse University and Jason Mancuso of Toms River, (Central Connecticut. Connor Bryant of Tinton Falls will transfer to Bryant (Mass.) University from Herkimer County (N.Y.) Community College.
Here is the complete list of Jersey Shore Boca’s collegiate players listed by year they are in college. They will be listed by name, home town and school they are at.
Seniors: Matt Acciani, Cherry Hill, Union College; Kisniger Barreau, Barnegat, Centenary College; Ryan Campbell, Point Pleasant, Monmouth University; Kris Cheesman, Barnegat, New England College; Dan Corti, Lakewood, Nyack College; Josh Finger, Glassboro, Ursinius College; George Gkionis, Jackson, Stevens Institute of Technology; JP Herring, Barnegat, Caldwell College; Manny Nieves, Hammonton, Centenary College; Dan Wilhem, Beach Haven, Caldwell College.
Juniors: Mike Baiata, Point Pleasant Beach, William Paterson University; Connor Bryant, Tinton Falls, Bryant College; Pat Bulvanoski, Oceanport, Mount Saint Mary’s College; Sean Cahill, Whiting, West Virginia; Justin Campbell, Point Pleasant, Manhattan College; Jim Coletti, Warren, Assumption College; Andy Fraggos, Marlboro, Towson State University; Jim Gaven, Hamilton Township, Seton Hall University; Nick Gkionis, Jackson Memorial, Stevens Institute of Technology; Andrew Hawtin, Toms River, Syracuse University; Chris Konopka, Toms River, Providence College; Jason Mancuso, Toms River, Central Connecticut State University; Jim McMichael, Pompton Plains, Kings College; Christian Pontier, Forked River, Stevens Institute of Technology; Casey Zambor, Jackson, Lynchburg College.
Sophomores: Ricardo Arocha, Fanwood, Providence College; Jon Curry-Edwards, Spring Lake Heights, Old Dominion University; Rob Galante, Sayreville, Bloomfield College; Pat Gee, Spring Lake Heights, North Carolina Wesleyan; Eugene Hahn, Roselle Park, Kean University; Dan Haydu, Toms River, Monmouth University; Justin McGrath, Brick, Seton Hall University; Chris McGreevey, Hoboken, Stevens Institute of Technology; Dave Nicholson, Clarksburg, East Stroudsburg University; Dave Novak, East Windsor, East Stroudsburg University; Jeremy Ortiz, Mount Laurel, LaSalle University; John Plaugic, Kearny, Caldwell College; Carlos Ruthner, Delran, Burlington County College; Versh Tivzenda, Hoboken, Stevens Institute of Technology; Damon Wilson, Mullica Hill, Ohio Wesleyan College.
Freshmen: Sean Babcock, Barrington, West Chester University; Dan Brackley, Hamilton Township, Carnegie Mellon University; John Corcoran, Stratford, St. Joseph’s University; James Daley, Bayville, Methodist College; Chip Fidler, Williamstown, Norwich University; Andrew Finger, South Harrison, Neumann College; Colin Jennings, Wall, Elizabethtown College; Mike Juska, Wall, Rider University; Ryan Morris, Brick, East Stroudsburg University; Chris Nelan, Barrington, College of New Jersey; Mark Petruniak, Hightstown, American University; Mark Schmiegel, Toms River, Bucknell University; Jake Weinberg, Highland Park, Rutgers University.
Published on August 23, 2005, in the Ocean County Observer