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HOLMDEL – Anthony Arena has been playing soccer since he was five years old.
The Holmdel star broke out as a junior, leading the Hornets to a state championship, and is hoping to do so again as a senior.
“Last year with the season that he had, scoring 35 goals and 25 assists, and just really being the prolific goal scorer that he was,” Holmdel head coach John Nacarlo said. “I knew coming into this year, based on what he did last year, the big question was what was he going to do without Justin McStay? And I think if it wasn’t for the injury to the hamstring, he probably would have had the same type of numbers this year and he’s hitting his stride right now as we enter the state tournament, which is important for team success.”
Arena did not play on the high school team his freshman year, instead deciding to play club soccer with the Cedar Stars that year. He made the team as a sophomore, started right away and scored 11 goals and 11 assists. Arena has been playing both high school and club soccer for NJX in Holmdel since his sophomore year.
But Nacarlo says he really didn’t commit himself off the field until after his sophomore year, and that is why he took off as a junior.
“If you saw him play his sophomore year, you would not have guessed he would be the player he is today,” Nacarlo said. “It really wasn’t until last year that we realized what we had. Putting in the work off the field was one of the key things and obviously, we became a much better team with the players that we had. But I think his confidence was much better and he really hit the weight room hard. He was not fit his sophomore year and he really worked hard in getting his body prepared for his junior season, and that was really important for him.”
Another reason for his jump as a sophomore was getting familiar with his teammates after playing with them for a year.
“I think that makes a really big difference, even with his cousin Joe who was on the team all four years,” Nacarlo said. “Some of the players that were on the team his sophomore year, they didn’t play together since they were 10, 11 years old because they split up and went their own ways. So I think it was very important for the chemistry because the more you play together with anybody, the chemistry is going to build.”
Arena missed time this season with a strained hamstring, and the team’s depth stepped up in his absence and led the Hornets to the top seed in the Central, Group 2 Tournament. Getting him back at the most important time of the season helps, and it also helps make the players around him better.
“This year, it was really so much of a team effort when he went down and we were able to get through a tough stretch without him,” Nacarlo said. “But with him on the field and the chemistry with his cousin Joe and Jack Giamanco and some of the other players, it’s just getting better and better. Obviously when you have a kid that can put the ball in the net and finish the way he can, that’s going to help the confidence in everyone around him.”
Arena will continue to play soccer collegiately at Monmouth University, but he hopes to win another state title at Holmdel first. He was, after all, a part of the program way before he was a student-athlete.
“He and his cousin Joe were ball boys on the 2010 state championship team and they were in the picture that I saw come up on Facebook,” Nacarlo said. “I thought when you look at that and then last year, for them to be a part of a state championship run and this being their senior year, this is something these kids have really dreamed of. Just being in a situation to win a state championship their senior year. I think he’s really looking forward to what we can do here.”
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