SERAPHS FINDING THEIR WAY BY BELIEVING IN ONE ANOTHER

By Eric Braun

 

MIDDLETOWN – The past couple of seasons there has been little to be excited about with the boys soccer program at Mater Dei Prep, but that has all changed. The Seraphs are off to their best start in seven years, as they sit with a record of 3-3-1 overall and 3-1 in B Central.

 

Under the direction of first-year head coach William Carl, the Seraphs were on no one’s radar and many had the Mater Dei Prep program picked last in every preseason prediction. This was the bulletin board material these boys needed.  Starting in early July, they bought into what Carl wanted to do and slowly started to become a family both on and off the field.

 

“The difference between last season and this season is this season we are all playing more like a family; we all have each other’s backs no matter what happens on the field and off the field and it all started over the summer at voluntary workouts,” said Junior Liam Stewart. 

 

“The practices over the summer, going six days a week of voluntary practices where we had just about 100% every morning at 6:30am, are where we started to come together and buy into each other,” added senior captain AJ Bruney.

 

The season got off to a rocky start against a much more experienced Monmouth Regional team, which was opening their new turf field, playing at home and in a down-pouring rain.  These elements and new mindset had the young Seraphs scrambling for answers, but never quit in their opening-day 8-0 loss to the Falcons. In the past, this would have set the tone for a Mater Dei program that won just six games over the past three years, with zero coming last year.

 

This season Mater Dei Prep returns 15 players from a year ago and a group that has really come together under Carl – seniors forward Bruney, defender Pat Mastro, defender Chris Napoli and forward Dylan Morales; juniors keeper CJ Braun, defender Marcone Pessoa, midfielder Liam Stewart, midfielder Jeremy Ramos, midfielder Christian Szotak; sophomores midfielder John Contini, forward Zach O’Neal, midfielder Jason Gruber, forward EJ Ventura, defender Scott Gomes and midfielder David Corbisiero.  

 

“I credit the kids for our success so far, they are a great group of young men that are willing to put in the hard work and trust in each other to get the job done,” Carl added.  “It is great having a large veteran group where everyone has grown as an individual player and have come together knowing what role they have in order to make the team stronger.  In one way or another, everyone on the team has made some contribution, but I have a great group of upperclassmen that help keep the team focused.”

 

After their-opening day loss, the Seraphs returned home to host Saint John Vianney, a team that has owned them over the past several years. The game was played in front a large home crowd, which is something that was not the norm for them last season. This support seemed to fuel the team, as they played inspired from the opening whistle.  The two teams would exchange goals within the first five minutes of the game.  

 

From there on, the Seraphs took control and outplayed the Lancers with stellar goalkeeping, defense and midfield play. In net, Braun came into his own both vocally and physically and ended with 18 saves and controlling the box. Defensively, Gomes took a step forward being a leader on the defensive line with his communication and hustle.  Gomes anchored a solid defensive line that also included hustle, physicality and heart from Szotak and Mastro.  Offensively, Pessoa, Stewart, Bruney, Contini and O’Neal would start to find chemistry together and control the pace of play.  Stewart would get the first goal of the season for Mater Dei at the three-minute mark.  

 

It would be Conti’s dramatic goal with under a minute to play that would help earn the Seraphs their first point of the season.  After Saint John Vianney scored on a controversial goal where the ball was knocked out of the keeper’s hands off a corner with just over a minute to go, the Seraphs played the ensuing kickoff to the corner and worked a corner kick with just under a minute to play.  With the ball played into the box and knocked around, Conti would gain control of the loss ball and place it into the lower corner with about 20 seconds left.  The teams would battle through two 10-minute overtime periods and earned a draw.

 

In the past, this is the type of game Mater Dei would have lost control of, but through every bump in the road over the 100 minutes of play, the Seraphs supported and worked for one another and showed Carl and the fans that this year was going to be different.

 

“We are a very young team but we have the biggest hearts. We have made outstanding progress as a team and family and continue to make progress with every practice and game together,” added Stewart in comparing this season to his first two.

 

Next up for the Seraphs was a crucial B Central contest against Point Pleasant Beach which outscored Mater Dei, 11-1, last season. This season the Seraphs flipped the script with goals from O’Neal and Bruney on assists from Pessoa and Stewart.  Braun earned his first varsity shutout with 23 saves.  

 

“It is not about me or one person, it’s about the team and right now we are having fun and trusting each other,” stated Braun.

 

The next two games would be challenging for the Seraphs, as they would take two straight non-conference shutout losses against Asbury Park, 4-0, and Red Bank Regional, 3-0.  

 

Carl got the boys right back to work and regained their focus and righted the ship. The next two games, they shut out B Central opponents Keyport and Henry Hudson.  Against Keyport, the Seraphs would get goals from O’Neal and Stewart for the 2-0 win and assists from Jeremy Ramos and Gruber with Braun collecting six saves for his second shutout of the season.  

 

Next up was another shutout win with Stewart collecting three goals, Bruney with two goals and Corbiserio with his first of the season, as well as assists from Gruber and two from Pessoa, and Braun with five saves.  The hat trick earned Stewart APP Shore Conference Player of the Week honors.

 

Carl has the boys on the right path and competing at a high level for the first time in years.  The future is bright for the Mater Dei program which has qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time in eight years, within reach of a B Central title and just a few games away from qualifying for the NJSIAA tournament.  

 

Heading into this week, the Seraphs stand one game out of first in their division and in ninth in the NJSIAA Non-Public B South power points.

 

 “My expectations for the team haven't changed since I was first introduced to the players – to make and compete in both the Shore Conference and state tournaments.  I missed coaching high school soccer, as I stepped away from the high school game for a few years,” said Carl. “When the opportunity arose to coach again here at Mater Dei Prep, I was excited to take the position. I am extremely proud of the team and what they have accomplished thus far and I can't wait to see what the future of the team holds for us.”